Heaven sent
by broomstick flyer
Summary: Hermione passed through heaven recieving judgement on her life and was found to have been a failure. given the chance to put right her mistakes she chose to return. I know this is not much of a summary but to much can spoil the tale. H/Hr
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer, Sad to say I do not own any of the Harry Potter universe, it all belongs to J. K. Rowling.

Hermione Granger, heaven sent.

A/Note: Please try to ignore any so called run on sentences (I Always do: hehehe)

Chapter 1

Taken to Heaven

The angel that had collected her from her death bed had been kind but not very talkative as she had led Hermione Weasley to the place called heaven. Hermione thought just how beautiful the angel looked and she wondered where people had ever got the idea of the Grim reaper from.

The angel had said few words since collecting her and leading her to this strange yet warm and beautiful place.

"I have a failure for you," the angel said as they reached a set of magnificent gates.

'_Must be the gates to heaven'_ Hermione thought and then the words of her collector registered in her mind '_failure_' the very word was one Hermione had spent her entire life trying to avoid being called, it was her worst nightmare, to be a failure. Thinking about it she could not work out how she could be classed a failure, she had always excelled at school and then in her chosen career as a healer. She had been a dutiful wife and as far as she knew she had been a good mother. She had always been a hard worker, being a failure was not what Hermione was and of that she was fully convinced.

The angel that had collected her passed her through the gates and informed the gate keeper she was to go through the system before she was put before the '_One_'. "The '_One_' will judge her on what has been and how bad she failed in what was to be."

The gate keeper handed Hermione a long sheet of parchment and told her to take it with her where ever she went. And so Hermione's journey through heaven began. She had been taken in to several different areas and offices and each time she had been asked a few questions, after eight different areas and departments Hermione looked down at her parchment and found that the name of all the departments she had been in had appeared along with a report on what had been decided by that department, for all but one of the places she had been to there was the dreaded word '_failure_' stamped in red.

Only once was her parchment stamped '_Success'_ and that was the first department she had entered where they had shown her, her first eleven years of life, it had seemed to take just a few seconds for the years to pass before her eyes and then she received the '_Success_' stamp.

They had then moved on to another department and then the next ten years, she had watched again as the next ten years of her life quickly passed before her eyes, and though she had finished her education with the highest marks ever and she had helped Harry Potter to rid the world of an evil wizard before she married Ron Weasley, she received a '_Failure_' stamp on her parchment.

It had been the same again as she watched the next twenty years flash before her eyes ten years at a time. The birth of her two children and their first few years growing up.

She had watched as her children had attended Hogwarts just as she had done, she shed a tear as she watched both her children struggle to pass any exams. She had watched as her children both lived short lives, both dying in their very early twenties. And Hermione cringed as time after time she found the word failure stamped on her parchment.

By the time Hermione found her self waiting in a huge white walled office she had eighteen failures and just the one success, Hermione had been devastated and still could not see where she had failed.

Two tall handsome angels came into the office and quietly led her out and in to a large white chamber. The walls were made up of white marble, a huge archway every few feet, the floor seemed to be made of polished white glass and she could see her reflection quite clearly. She could see no ceiling above. What she saw was just a light blue sky. At the far end she could see someone sat upon a large throne like seat and she knew she was in the chamber of the one they all called the '_One_'. At each side of the '_One_' stood an Archangel, Michael on one side and Raphael on the other.

"Ah Hermione Jane Granger, I expected great things from you. Would you care to explain why you have failed so dismally in the life you were given?" an amazingly musical and golden sounding voice asked.

Hermione did not know how to answer, "I never thought of my self as a failure, I worked hard not to be one. All through school I studied hard, I passed all my exams with the best grades. I helped Harry Potter to vanquish an evil dark wizard. And I think I was a good mother to my children. I worked hard all my life as a healer I don't understand where I failed," she answered the voice.

"But you did fail in the life I gave you. Where was the greatness I gave you. Where are your descendants that were to help protect my world. Why was your soul mate, the one true love I gave to you so positively denied by you?" the voice questioned.

Hermione did not understand what was happening, if this was the voice of the one who created the world then why did he not know that her children had died, and the stories of her being the greatest witch of the age were just the fantasies of her school mates. No Hermione could not understand where she had failed and she said so.

"So you fail again even here," the voice told her quietly.

"I'm so confused," Hermione answered as she shed more tears.

"You were never meant to marry Ronald Bilius Weasley. Did you not remember all the hurt he caused you as you grew up. The children you had together were most definitely not meant to be those of the bully who was destined to have a lonely life because of his hate and jealousy. Those beings died because they were just too human, there was no spirit, no soul in them, they were not yours to have." she heard the voice telling her.

Hermione's mind was racing as she tried to work out what the voice meant, but she felt lost. She had thought she had lived a good life, she had followed her heart in all things. But then she suddenly remembered how she had felt in her early years as Harry's friend, she remembered how she had buried the feelings for him that she thought she was to young to feel, and suddenly she began to understand. Those strange feelings as she had hugged him during their first battle with Tom Riddle were not the fantasy of a young girl. They had been real feelings and she should have let them grow and not held them back. The feeling she got being on the back of a hippogriff and clinging tight to Harry, hugging herself to him and feeling something stir inside her. It was a feeling she had suppressed, buried deep inside where it would never bother her again.

Suddenly Hermione was brought out of her thoughts as the voice spoke again, "Step forward child, let me show you what your denial and marriage did."

Hermione stepped forward and a huge screen like wall appeared in front of her.

"Watch closely, and listen carefully Hermione Jane Granger," a new and strange voice commanded as pictures began to appear on the wall.

The triwizard champions were entering the great hall and Harry was staring at her and Krum. A look of what she could only call hate, directed at Krum flashed across Harry's face as she turned and smiled at the professional seeker. Harry tripped over his own feet as he danced with Parvati because he was watching her in the arms of Krum.

"You should have been with Harry, if you had just waited for him to ask you, or if you had not ignored the love you were given and gone with Harry, Krum would have had no reason to be jealous and turn his wand on Cedric or Harry, he would have fought the imperious charm he was under." the strange voice said.

A change of scene and a beaten Harry James Potter appeared out of no where in front of the huge crowd desperately clinging to the body of Cedric Diggory, and as Dumbledore tried to help Harry, Hermione heard Harry's thoughts.

'_Hermione help me'_ repeated over and over in his head until he realised he had made it back to the school.

"They should have reached the grave yard three minutes earlier, before the evil one was ready and Cedric should have lived, look at the consequences of your mistake in choosing Krum, time lost in the maze cost a life."

The scene changed to when they were in Grimmauld place and she watched Harry enter the room she and Ron were in, she felt the surge of jealousy that coursed through Harry as he saw her get up from the bed she had been sitting on with Ron. '_What the heck are they up to'_ he thought as she seemed to leap away from Ron. She felt the jolt of pleasure he got when she hugged him but as soon as she let go and stood once again with Ron the jealousy returned.

Another change of scene and they were fighting in the department of mysteries, she felt Harry's heart stop when the spell of Dolohov hit her younger self. She felt his over whelming despair as he watched her fall, and then the great flood of love and surge of relief when Neville said she was alive.

The scene changed to the sixth year and Harry alone in his dormitory, lay on his bed in the dark, and she could hear him as he asked himself why he still loved someone who wasn't even talking to him about things any more. She felt his tears as he thought she no longer wanted to be his friend, she heard him as he confessed to his empty room that he could do nothing with out Hermione by his side.

"If you had not been so distant with him because of a simple book, if you had trusted and believed in him and helped him, Draco Malfoy would never have had the chance to be able to let those death eaters into the castle." Said the voice

And then came Harry's heart breaking sorrow as she showed her jealousy for Lavender Brown. She felt his pain increase as he watched her wanting Ron to kiss her and not Lavender. She felt his confusion as he tried to replace her with Ginny. She felt his heart shatter as he watched her in Ron's arms at the funeral of Dumbledore and she heard him thinking of going after Riddle all alone. It was her being in Ron's arms that made him end it with Ginny, he did not want Ginny to feel the pain he felt that day.

"Why did you deny your love for him, you had the opportunity to be with Harry, why did you choose Mr Weasley?"

Then they were in the tent during the hunt for the Horcruxes. She felt Harry's hate for Ron every time she was alone with Ron and talking about Harry behind his back. He had known they were saying awful things about him. She felt his hate when Ron deserted them, and then she felt his hopes rise as she chose to stay with him. She felt his love being renewed each time they held each others hand, and she felt his joy and elation as they stood at his parents graveside and she slipped her arm around him.

And then she felt his joy die completely as she turned and kissed Ron during the last battle, his despair as he walked out of the castle to die at Voldemort's hand.

"It was your kiss that led Harry out to Voldemort, it was the power of his love for you that gave him the courage to face death and to come back to face it again. You knew in your heart what had happened but still you did the wrong thing," came from the strange voice.

Hermione was in tears as she began to realise where she had failed Harry, and then there was the final pain sh caused him. The last really true feeling Harry James Potter ever allowed himself to have was on the day she and Ron had asked him to be their best man. The cruelty of it was not lost on her as she felt the heart break Harry was feeling as Ron and her held hands and she smiled at him. She had betrayed her soul mate in the worst possible way.

But the things she was being shown did not end there. The scene changed to the Wedding of Harry and Ginny, and she heard Harry asking forgiveness from the heavens for marrying someone he did not love. She watched as Harry Potter changed from the great wizard he was supposed to become into an ordinary wizard, no longer fighting evil, instead he seemed to just drift through his life feeling empty. The only thing that could be called love he ever felt again was the shallow love for his children. Even that love died as his children, just like hers died while still young. There was no longer any greatness in Harry James Potter because she had not been there to help him and encourage him.

She watched as Harry was asked for help from the ministry in their fight against a new dark wizard, and he refused saying it was no longer in his power. He told them he no longer had the one thing he needed most, she heard the words in his head that the ministry did not hear, she heard him say her name, she and the love he had for her was the power that Voldemort did not know.

Hermione was again shedding tears as she felt the immense love she should have given to Harry released from the chains she had it locked in, and then suddenly it was gone and she felt empty inside; somehow it had been taken away from her.

Then she heard as whispered voices said that her true children wished to speak with her, looking up she saw the angel that had collected her talking to the '_One_'.

The huge screen disappeared from view and a small door appeared in the middle of the chamber and opened. Four beautiful little children walked in and stood before her. Each of the children had characteristics that reminded Hermione of herself or of Harry or of them both, the one she thought the eldest looked almost exactly as she had pictured Harry as a child with messy black hair and bright green eyes.

As she watched, each of the children stepped forward and asked her a question. The youngest, a little girl who had black bushy hair and deep brown eyes stared up at her.

"Hello mummy, why is daddy so sad all the time?" the little one asked before stepping back.

The next little one stepped forward, again a little girl, she had lovely long black hair and the brownest eyes.

"Hello mummy, will you keep on making us sad?" she asked then stepped back.

The third child stepped forward, a little boy who had sad green eyes and short brown hair.

"Hello mummy, will you be sad as well?" the little boy asked a tear falling from his eye.

Then the eldest one stepped forward and he looked so like Harry that Hermione felt like her heart was breaking again.

"Hello mummy, will you make things right for us?" he asked before surprising her and stepping forward with his arms held out to her.

Hermione dropped down to her knees and gave the little boy a hug, "I wish I could but it seems I failed you all, you and your daddy," she said as she closed her eyes and felt her tears fall. She was surprised when she felt the other children join her; she was enveloped in embraces from the children that she had never known, the children that should have been hers and Harry's.

Hermione heard the voice as it told the children it was time to go back, she looked up as the children were going and pictures of Harry filled her mind, pictures of when he had helped her get through things, for all the years before she had married Ron, Harry had been her tower of strength and her rock, she saw all those occasions, he had even held her in a comforting hug in their sixth year, the very year she had hurt him so much, and he had put all his own pain to one side as he held her and comforted her while she cried because Ron was kissing Lavender Brown.

From somewhere way down deep inside her, Hermione felt the stirring of her first immature love for Harry James Potter, the boy who had always taken care of her.

It was the first feelings she had held for him during their first year as friends, the feelings she had locked away deep down inside as she left him to fetch help during the search for the stone, it wasn't much but she clung to it like a lifeline in her despair.

She called goodbye to her children as they walked to the door, and she felt her heart aching, then she heard the voice of the _'One'_ calling her.

Before she knew what had happened she was standing right in front of her maker and judge, her eyes looking down at her feet. She felt sick with what she had done to Harry and the world, and her unborn children, and herself.

"So child you still have love for him I see, even though all your love should have been taken away, because of the way you feel I have an offer for you, to save you from eternal heart ache, are you interested?"

Hermione looked up into the golden glowing face of the one who had made her and she felt the love and comfort sweeping from him in waves, and she suddenly felt at ease, she tried to speak but all she could do was nod her head a little.

Two angels suddenly appeared one standing each side of Hermione, without a word they led her back out of the chamber they were in, and she was then led to what appeared to be a small office where she was left to wait.

Hermione had no idea how long she had been waiting in the small office, it seemed as though time did not actually exist here and yet she could remember the wait, she was just pondering on the oddness of it when the door opened and a bearded man entered.

Looking at his notes the man nodded to her as he rummaged around on the desk, "Now where did I put those rules?" he asked himself as he moved files that she had never even noticed being there, "ah here we are."

Sitting in a chair that appeared the man looked up from the desk at Hermione "Well sit, sit," he said as a chair appeared in front of her.

Hermione did what she was told as the man lifted yet another file from the desk and started to read, she was beginning to wonder how long she would be here before she heard about the offer that the '_One'_ had mentioned, she had no idea what it might be that was required of her, but she was willing to do anything she could if it helped Harry and her children, it was as she had these thoughts that all the love that had been taken from her came back to her, rushing through her and filling all the vast emptiness she had felt.

"Hermione Jane Granger, is that correct she heard a voice saying, she looked up to see the man was waiting for an answer. "You are Hermione Jane Granger?"

Hermione swallowed hard and nodded "Yes sir, I am."

"Ah good, now then it has been a while since I had to do this, almost a thousand years I think," the man said as he turned a page in the file he was holding, he then held out a piece of paper to Hermione "please read these rules."

Hermione stared at the paper for a while before speaking "Excuse me sir but this appears to be blank."

"Please not sir, no sirree, not sir. 'Peter', that's the name, some times called Simon or the rock, did you say it was blank, hmm well that is odd, very odd, would you mind just waiting?" the man said getting up and leaving the room.

Hermione sat and enjoyed the feeling of love that seemed to fill every inch of her being, once again she did not know how long she waited before the man returned, sitting once more behind the desk he lifted a file and began to read.

"Hermione Jane Granger, would you sacrifice the love you now feel, would you sacrifice your place here in heaven if you were guaranteed the happiness of Harry Potter and the souls that should have been your family, would you give all that up, and spend eternity in the other place, the place of fire and pain, emptiness and desolation, would you give it all up, never to feel the warmth of love again," Peter asked reading from the file.

Hermione thought of the four little souls who had never had any life, she thought of their sadness and she thought of Harry who had gone through his life without real love, she thought about the love she had for him and had kept buried, she looked around her and felt the beauty of heaven, taking a deep breath she nodded her head.

"If that is what it takes," she said quietly.

Peter nodded his head and rose again, leaving Hermione once more as he left the room, this time Hermione concentrated on the feeling of the love she was filled with and she tried hard to memorise how it felt, hopefully she would take her memories with her, they may be all that was left for her where she was going to end up.

When Peter returned he was smiling, he handed Hermione the same piece of paper he had given her before "Now Hermione I want you to read these rules," he said as he sat down again.

This time the paper was not blank and she began to read,

'_Hermione Jane Granger, you will be rewarded for your selfless love, you will not be sent to the other place, instead you will be sent back to a time of the makers choosing, once there you will be given the chance to relive your life in the way it was meant to be, this chance at living your life again will also give others who should not have died the chance to live out their lives, no one must ever know, you must never try to reveal what you have seen, if you agree to this place your signature on the bottom of this paper_.'

Hermione felt a great wave of relief as she finished reading, she was more than willing to put things right, and if in doing so she could bring happiness back into peoples lives then she would not mind facing any future she herself had. She was about to ask Peter for a quill when a golden pen appeared in her hand, having signed the paper she handed it to the man sitting quietly at the desk.

"So Hermione you agree to the terms, good, are there any questions you have before you leave?" Peter said as he folded the paper and placed it in the file.

"Will I retain my memories?" she asked

"Those that are returned do not usually keep their memories, it has happened but only a very few times," Peter replied as he closed her file.

As the file closed Hermione glimpsed the final entry on her Parchment and she smiled as she read '_Success_' stamped on it, she was about to ask Peter how she could put things right if she had no memory of the mistakes she had made, when the room began to spin.

--------


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione Granger, heaven sent.

Chapter 2.

A young Hermione Granger woke up on her eleventh birthday, scrambled from her bed and rushed down the stairs to see how many birthday cards the postman had left for her. At the bottom of the stairs her mother handed her eight envelopes, smiling cheerfully Hermione gave her mum a hug and a kiss before rushing into the dining room to open her cards.

Hermione picked the smallest envelope to open first and began to read the strange loopy but very neat green writing.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY._

_Headmaster Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc, Chf. Warlock, _

_Supreme Mugwump International Confederation Of Wizards)_

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_We are pleased to offer you an education at a premiere school for advanced magic, and to inform you that you have a place reserved at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. You will be visited later today by a representative of the Wizarding world._

_Yours sincerely_

_Minerva McGonagall._

_Deputy headmistress._

Hermione did not know what to make of the strange letter; it seemed to her that if it was a joke it was not a very funny one. Just as she decided to show it to her mother, there was a knock on the front door. Hermione's mum Helen answered the door and Hermione could here her talking to a woman, seconds later Helen led Minerva McGonagall into the dining room.

As soon as Hermione saw McGonagall her head began to spin and she felt a little nausea for a few seconds and then all her memories of her previous life came flooding back to her in a rush.

Jumping to her feet she ran across the room and hugged Minerva McGonagall around the waist, it was not until she hugged the head mistress that she realised she was still only eleven years old. Stepping back Hermione politely offered her hand to Minerva "Good morning professor."

Minerva McGonagall was rather surprised by her welcome and by the fact that this little eleven year old witch seemed to know her.

Hermione realised she had made a mistake, she had forgotten she was a child again, but she had not spent all those years as Ron's wife and Harry's best friend without learning a little from them, as she shook Minerva's hand she spoke again "Sorry, I had a dream about you last night. At least I thought it was a dream."

"Maybe there is a little seer in you," Minerva said as she shook Hermione's offered hand.

Hermione said nothing to change the professor's mind; instead she took a seat and watched as the professor demonstrated the truth behind her claim to be a witch and Hermione was one too.

After Minerva had explained things to her parents, and told them that was why odd things kept happening around Hermione, she did a few spells and charms to show them how magic really worked.

Hermione wondered if she still had her ability and power, she then began acting really interested in the display and asked if she could take a look at the professor's wand. Minerva still talking to the adults could see no harm in letting an eleven year old simply hold and look at her wand for a few minutes so she passed it to Hermione.

Hermione knowing that the ministry underage magic office would be ignoring any magic done at the house that day turned the wand around in her hands a few times before she finally pointed it at a book over in the corner, with a quick flick she soundlessly summoned the book to her, she then tried a little advanced levitation, waving the wand at the tea pot she silently said Wingardium leviosa and as the pot lifted from the table she used the wand to guide the pot and poured herself a cup of tea.

There was a look of total amazement on the faces of the three adults, Minerva, Helen, and Hermione's dad Richard stared open mouthed as Hermione handed the wand back and calmly began to drink her tea as though she had done nothing extraordinary.

Her parents accepted that their daughter Hermione Jane was indeed a witch, and Minerva McGonagall knew she had found the greatest witch of the millennium.

Minerva McGonagall left the Granger house after wishing them all a good day, and telling Hermione she looked forward to seeing her at Hogwarts. She was eager to return to the school, she had something exciting this year to tell Albus Dumbledore the head master.

Minerva McGonagall was happy and relieved when she left the home of the final Muggle born on her list for the day. Now she could get back to the school and tell Albus the news. Looking around to make sure she could not be seen she did a quick spin and vanished from sight. She re-appeared just a second or so later at the Gates of Hogwarts, the greatest school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the world. The long walk from the gates to the school entrance seemed so much longer than usual as she rushed to the castle eager to relay her news.

After a quick knock on the office door Minerva rushed into the head masters office to be faced with an empty room. Annoyed at him not being there to hear her news she was just about to leave in search of Albus when he entered from the door to his private quarters.

"Ah Minerva back so soon, I must say I had expected you to make a full day of your assignments," Albus Dumbledore greeted jovially.

Minerva a huge smile on her face stepped forward "I've found her Albus, I found her and she is one of ours," she said excitedly.

"Calm your self Minerva, who have you found?" Albus said grinning at his second in commands eagerness to enlighten him.

"We have a Miss Hermione Jane Granger on our list. She is one of the eleven year olds I visited today, and Albus she's the one from the prophesy. The one to take Rowena Ravenclaws place as the greatest witch to be born. You should have seen her Albus. I have seen so many things in my life but what I saw today was real greatness," she said almost dancing.

Albus Dumbledore wanted to know about the witch that would fulfil the little known prophecy about the witch who was to take the place of Rowena Ravenclaw. Because if such a witch existed then there must be some where out there, the wizard who would equal or outshine Rowena's husband Godric Gryffindor. Although Albus thought he already knew who the replacement for Salazar Slytherin was. It was an evil wizard by the name of Tom Riddle, who had renamed himself Lord Voldemort.

Albus was surprised by the things Minerva told him and he himself felt eager to meet the new student when she started school in September. He had no idea he would not enjoy his first meeting with Hermione Jane granger.

Albus having heard about Hermione Granger waited impatiently for Minerva to place her memory into his pensieve so that they could view it together. On leaving the memory Albus was just as convinced as Minerva. Rowena Ravenclaws equal was soon to start at Hogwarts.

As he placed his pensieve back into its cupboard he remembered the little known prophecy that said, as the millennium nears it's end, as young one's they will come together, the heirs of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor and would forever end the house of Slytherin and all it stood for.

As usual the way Albus Dumbledore interpreted the prophecy either overlooked or just ignored many of the things it could mean.

~*~*~*~

Hermione sat with her parents, two of the people she loved the most, and she revelled for a short time in their company. She sat comfortably and simply listened to them talk about what it meant to have a real live witch in the family. Hermione found her self just enjoying hearing them talking after missing them for so many years.

She had been 193 when she had died, and she had lost both her parents by the time she was fifty. It had been hard at first, her dad dying and then just a year later losing her mum. In losing them she had lost her two best confidants and her two best friends after Harry Potter. She had often wished that Muggles lived as long as Magical people but it was not to be, even as a great healer Hermione had been unable to find a way to give Muggles a longer life span.

So for now she just sat and enjoyed their company for a while. Something her mother said in the conversation made her think of Harry and the day he had confessed to her all about his life with the Dursleys.

Hermione determined to do something about it but she needed a wand first.

It took her nearly three hours of begging pleading crying and throwing tantrums to get her parents to take her to Diagon Alley to buy her, her wand. Both parents pointed out that as Hermione was not due to start Hogwarts for almost a year she did not need to buy a wand so soon. But with her pouting and false tears Hermione won her parents around to buying her her wand later that afternoon.

She grinned as she entered Ollivander's the wand makers shop; she knew almost exactly what he would say. Not that she remembered what he had said to her all those years ago, but she could remember him being famous for saying the exact same thing to so many young children.

She really surprised the old wand maker when she asked for a wand made of vine wood with a dragon heart string. He was even more astonished when he gave her one to try and as she gave it a swish it emitted more golden sparks than he had ever seen before from a child.

Hermione followed as her parents took a walk around Diagon Alley marvelling at every thing they saw. They made use of the late afternoon drop in shoppers by buying all the school things Hermione would need, and then after a quick meal and a butter beer in the Leaky cauldron they made their way home.

Arriving home Hermione took her school things up to her bed room. Once they were packed neatly away she stood in front of her dressing room mirror and corrected her rather large front teeth making them shrink to a normal size. Then with a plan already in her head she joined her parents down stairs for dinner.

The look of shock on her parent's faces when at seven o clock that evening sitting calmly at the dinner table Hermione told them she was going to go and collect her new boyfriend, and that he would be staying with them was a sight she wanted to remember. She then told them about the treatment Harry received at the hands of his aunt and uncle. She made them promise not to mention a single word about it to Harry as he was very self conscious about it.

Helen and Richard both thought her new boyfriend was one of the young wizards they had met that day in London. But were truly shocked at just how there little girl seemed so involved with someone she had just met.

At seven thirty she stood in the kitchen with her mum and dad she said "I'm off to fetch Harry, I shouldn't be too long, I just have to deal with the Dursleys and Dumbledore." Then leaving her parents gaping at the spot she had stood in Hermione vanished.

Hermione Jane Granger arrived out side Number four Privet Drive and gave a thank you to the 'One' that she had remembered the place correctly, and she seemed to have retained all her power. Having rung the door bell Hermione waited impatiently for the door to be opened.

Vernon Dursley after thumping Harry a few times, and throwing him across the floor breaking the boys arm, had just slapped his nephew around the ear bursting his ear drum and making the lads ear bleed and that was just for not putting enough food on Dudley's plate.

Dudley, Harry's cousin had complained as though he had never been fed.

Violently shoving Harry into the cupboard under the stairs Vernon took a kick at the small boy but missed when the boy fainted from the pain he was in. He was just about to take another kick at Harry when the front door bell rang.

"Quiet boy if you know what is good for you," he hissed as he closed the door and locked it.

Vernon waddled his huge bulk to the front door, plastered a smile on his face and opened the door; he was quite surprised when he saw a young girl with bushy hair standing looking up at him. He knew she could not be a neighbour's child or he would have recognised her.

"What the hell do you want?" he asked rudely.

Hermione noticed the fresh blood on the floor outside the cupboard under the stairs and she lost her temper a little. Pulling out and pointing her wand at the fat oaf in front of her, she hit him with a very mild reducto spell sending the huge man hurtling backwards down the hallway and crashing through the kitchen door. As Petunia Dursley, Harry's aunt came to see what was happening Hermione petrified her in the door way, she smiled as the horsey faced woman fell backward into the kitchen to lie among the shattered remains of the kitchen door with her unconscious husband.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer……….. All characters are the copyright of J K Rowling. Except those that are a figment of my own crazy imagination.

A/Note for everyone who pointed out that Hermione is only eleven, please remember that the Hermione in charge has not been a child for a very long time and child abuse to her is abohrent and definitely anger inducing. So Hermione is going to seem very OOC

Hermione Granger, heaven sent.

Chapter 3.

Standing in the Dursleys hallway, Hermione took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure, she did not want to frighten Harry before she even spoke to him. As soon as she was certain she was calm enough Hermione knocked the locks from the little door of the cupboard and as it swung open she saw Harry. He was lying unconscious on the now worn out blanket that Dumbledore had once wrapped him in.

After checking Harry's injuries Hermione decided to only heal his damaged ear drum for now, if it was left too long there was a chance that he would remain deaf in that ear even after a visit to St Mungo's.

Pulling Harry into the hallway Hermione heard the familiar crack of three people apparating into the garden; she suddenly found her self dodging spells that were being sent at her by three Aurors. Annoyed at their stupidity at casting spells without checking who they were endangering, Hermione retaliated, she froze two of the Aurors with her first three spells. She disarmed the third one with her fifth spell.

Storming out into the garden to face the fools who had risked injuring Harry further, she put a full body bind on the one Auror who had remained conscious.

"Damn idiot, who the hell trained you?" she yelled at the surprised man.

The Auror stuttered and stammered as he tried to answer her questions, but he was too shocked to actually make any sense.

"I'm here trying to rescue Harry Potter, you may have heard of him, you moron. You know who I mean, The Harry Potter, young boy, hero of the wizarding world, and you come along and nearly kill the boy," she yelled at him.

She would later come to think of the episode as rather funny, a little eleven year old girl yelling at a full grown wizard and scaring the pants off him.

Hermione suddenly remembered her age and had to think fast, she needed to get Harry to St Mungo's and she had to think of a way to cover up why an eleven year old Muggle born was able to perform spells that a sixth year at Hogwarts would have problems with. As she looked back in to the house at Harry and she remembered her last visit to the Dursley house when they had used polyjuice to fool the death eaters.

Taking a breath she thought '_oh well I'll never know if I don't try'_ . Turning to the Aurors she used her best bossy voice "Right I am going to set you free, and will you stop staring, have you never heard of 'polyjuice potion'. When I set you free you will take Harry to St Mungo's and you will stay with him, you will guard him with your life and if he isn't there when I arrive you will wish you had jumped in front of one of my less powerful spells, do you understand me," she yelled.

As the man nodded to her she added "And you will not, on the pain of death, let that moron Fudge who we have for a minister or any of his lackeys anywhere near the boy." Hermione waved her wand and the Auror was set free, she then revived the other two Aurors and together the three of them took Harry to the hospital.

Hermione left number four with Vernon out cold on the kitchen floor, Petunia petrified for the next hour and the front door wide open, she had some where else to visit and she vanished from the lawn.

Appearing out side Hogwarts Hermione rang the huge bell hanging from the school gate. It was not long before a huge man arrived to open the gate for her.

"Hello Hagrid, I'm here to see Albus," she said casually as though she did it every day.

Hagrid was surprised that the child knew him and he decided to take her up to the school to see Dumbledore. As they walked Hermione discussed various magical creatures with him, she touched on his love for dragons and she reminded him that taking dragon eggs from strangers was a bad idea because it lead to eggs being stolen leaving an unhappy mother dragon. By the time the dragon topic was over they had reached the gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office.

Hagrid went up first to see if the head master would see Hermione, when he came down he told her that Dumbledore was quite happy to meet her, and he then left her to go up the spiral stairs while he walked back down to his hut.

Hermione entered the office to be met by professor McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore. It did not take Hermione long to lose her temper with the headmaster. After she had told them about sending Harry to St Mungo's Dumbledore spoke. Just the words 'Harry must return' were enough, and Hermione knew exactly what he was about to say, before he even knew what was happening she had him locked firmly in a full body bind.

Albus Dumbledore supposed to be the most powerful wizard alive was totally shocked to find he could not break the bindings the girl had placed him in, nor could he counter the silencing charm she had put on him. It was the first time in over fifty years that he had been unable to free himself from such spells and he stared at Hermione in amazement.

"First Professor you can either help me or you can make your self an enemy of myself and my soul mate. I am taking Harry Potter home with me as soon as he is healed of the injuries caused by that gormless child beating Muggle you placed him with.

Hermione went on to tell the head master and Minerva of the cruelty that Harry had suffered thanks to Dumbledore's stupidity. She told them about the injuries that he had suffered that very day, and she ended with giving the head master the choice of helping place wards around her parents home if he could actually find it, or never seeing Harry again.

"Oh and those stupid blood wards you keep on about, the ones that are supposed to keep him safe. Well they don't work if the people he is with don't want him and they have no love for him, and they don't work if Harry doesn't think of the place as home, so you messed up on that idiot's idea you foolish old man.

Why the hell you never checked up on him I don't know, and don't even dare to tell me you did check on him because it may well be the very last thing you ever say," Hermione fumed at the staring head master who knew he had finally met someone far more powerful than he was.

Minerva looked at Hermione with a look of pride, "How did you learn so fast child?" she asked as Hermione seemed to be cooling down.

"Let's just say it was all heaven sent, and when it comes to protecting my soul mate, who happens to be Harry James Potter. Well I am willing to do anything it takes, and I mean 'anything'," Hermione replied.

Once Hermione had cooled down a little more and was able to see past her anger she decided she had had her say so she set Albus free. Then the three of them left the office by portkey on their way to St Mungo's hospital. They arrived at the hospital to find a really confused young boy who had three of the wizard world's security force standing guard over him. He had absolutely no idea what had happened to his aunt or uncle and no recollection of how he had arrived at the hospital.

While Minerva and Dumbledore explained to Harry that he was a famous wizard, Hermione looked around fondly at the part of the hospital they were in, recalling some of the incidents during her 100 years here as head healer. She then remembered some of her training years and the people she had started out with. Her biggest surprise had been when her other best friend Ron Weasley entered training with her although he failed dismally to become a healer or anything else for that matter, the man lived all his life failing.

'_Maybe that's why I decided to marry him'_ she thought as she watched a memory of them both bumping into each other as they walked with their heads buried in a text book, '_Maybe I saw something in him that wasn't really there to see_.' Well at least this time I shall know better.

Albus gave a small cough as he looked at the thoughtful, small, bushy haired, brown eyed, bundle of fiery witch. She was eleven years old, she had known about the magical world for just a few hours and she had already shown an amazing amount of power. It seemed as far as he could tell, that she didn't even have to know any spells or charms she seemed to just wish for something to happen point her wand let her magic go and quite simply it did happen. Add to that the fact she seemed to be a seer '_she was going to be one heck of a powerful witch when she is full grown'_, he thought.

Dumbledore's cough brought Hermione out of her memories; she looked up at the Aurors and told them they could go, giving the one she had questioned previously the task of reporting the cruelty of the Dursleys toward Harry Potter to the proper people.

She then turned her attention to Minerva. Having spoken to the deputy head out of Dumbledore's hearing, and eliciting a promise not to reveal her address to any one, especially the head master. She ended their conversation by telling the head mistress to be aware that Dumbledore was some kind of mind reader "I felt him poking around in my mind, but I quickly put a stop to that," Hermione said as they walked back to Harry's room.

Hermione asked the healer if Harry could leave, first the healer gave Hermione some potions that would correct the years of malnutrition and neglect Harry had suffered along with a list of previous injuries received, most of which had never received treatment. Hermione shoved the list violently into Dumbledore's face "Make a copy and memorise what you made Harry suffer you senile bloody fool," she yelled at him before she turned to Harry and then taking his hand in hers she said goodbye to the two professors. Dumbledore sat stunned as Hermione led Harry out of the door; they had nearly reached the main entrance when Dumbledore caught up with them.

"I will need to know where you are taking Mr Potter," he said as he tried to catch his breath.

"No that won't be necessary, a fool like you might be a liability," Hermione replied "if you can't find him then we don't need to worry about who ever you are hiding him from now do we, so you can just toddle off back to your school and keep your senile old nose out of our business."

With that Hermione still holding tight to Harry left the hospital, just three seconds after the door closed in Dumbledore's astonished face, with Harry held tight in her arms Hermione disapparated without a sound taking Harry with her.

Dumbledore marvelled again at the witch that had just vanished silently, it had taken him the best part of fifty years to be able to do that, _'she's already one heck of a powerful witch, I would love to have power like that. It must be how our first ancestors used magic before the time of spells and charms'_, he thought

Having arrived in a strange house with a strange girl who it seemed had rescued him from his uncle, Harry felt lost, disoriented, and a little afraid. He had no idea where he was or why he was there or how these things were possible; finally finding his voice he timidly asked what was going to happen to him now, and "Am I in trouble for something."

Hermione's heart went out to the little scared ten year old boy she had brought home with her, she knew first hand how brave he was, so to see him shaking a little in fear brought forward all the love she felt for him. She noticed there was a slight change to the love she had felt for him in heaven and she wondered if love was always magnified in that wonderful place.

She told him he was to be staying with her from now on, "You will sleep in my room until I am sure we are safe, mum and dad will be looking after us as well, and they are the exact opposites of your aunt and uncle."

When Hermione had finished talking her mother pulled her to one side "What on earth do you mean he will be sleeping in your room? He's a boy."

Hermione smiled "Mummy I know he's a boy, he's the boy I am going to marry and have my babies with, and we're going to be a family."

Helen Granger could not believe what her little girl was saying "Hermione you can't mean that, you're eleven years old for petes sake. You don't even know the lad, I mean look at him, he… he's… well just look at him."

Hermione stared at her mother for two whole minutes before she was calm enough to speak "Yes just look at him. A little terrified boy, who was beaten half to death today by an uncle ten times his size. A little boy who just spent two and a half hours in a magical hospital where healing a broken arm takes around twenty seconds. Just look at him, a half starved body in the thrown away clothes of his huge obese cousin. Yes Mum you should just look at him and then you should look at your self because I don't know who you are right now."

Hermione walked away from her mother and found Harry telling her father about the way the Dursleys treated him, and she was shocked. All through her other life Harry had so rarely spoken about his childhood, about the cruelty, he had only finally told her about it as he lay dying, just a couple of years before she herself became fatally ill.

Then she listened to her dad's answer, when for reasons she did not understand she saw a very pale thin beam of blue light form a connection between Harry and her dad.

Later Hermione was in the bathroom getting ready for bed when her mother knocked on the door and asked if she could come in. Hermione unlocked the door then went back to the sink to continue washing her face.

Helen Granger entered the bathroom and she felt guilty. Her little girl was doing the right thing, and all that she and Richard had taught her about helping people. Helen had seen only a little scruffy looking boy in her house, and in her daughter's heart. Now she felt bad for the way she had acted.

"Your dad really likes Harry, but then he always wanted you to have someone to play with, a little brother. Hermione love, what I said earlier, well I'm sorry, it's just so many things happening," Helen tried saying.

"Daddy always wanted a little boy, did you have something go wrong when you had me, is it my fault you only have one child?" Hermione asked sounding worried, she had never wondered before why she was an only child.

Helen paled before she answered "No dear we decided…" Helen looked down at the tiled floor, she felt more guilty than she ever had before. She had thought that allowing Richard to have the one child would be enough. She had hoped that the joy he got from their little girl would end his desire for a larger family but now she had seen him with Harry she felt guilty for not wanting to have children.

Hermione turned and stared at her mother, over 150 years as a healer had taught her many things and one of those things was when a wife did not want children. It was something she had been approached with many times as women begged to be sterilised just like the Muggles are.

"You never wanted me; you never wanted any children, that's why you don't want my Harry here isn't it?" Hermione accused "at least it's nice to know my father wanted me."

Hermione turned once again to the mirror and started to brush her teeth, "Oh look I fixed my teeth, I must be a better dentist than you," Hermione said wanting to hurt her mother for what she had revealed.

Richard Granger found his wife lying on their bed crying, he had no words of comfort as lying down with her he placed his arm around her waist. She would tell him what was wrong if and when she was ready too.

"I think I just lost my little girl, I don't think she loves me any more," Helen sobbed.

"What happened?" he asked gentleness in his voice.

"We were talking and it came out about me not wanting to have any children," she answered as more tears fell.

Richard had always expected his wife would regret her decision some day but he had never expected this and he did not know how to deal with it. He could still find no words of comfort to offer his wife. He had known that Hermione was a compromise because she had feared his desire to have children might take him away from her, so he just lay there with her in his arms.

When Hermione climbed into bed she looked over at Harry, he was almost asleep in the single bed she had conjured for him; she smiled and whispered good night.

"I like your dad Hermione, g'night," he answered as his eyes drifted closed; he had had a long day.

Hermione began to think about her mother, she was still furious with her. Not for not wanting children, that was her own decision. But Hermione knew from how her mother spoke that she had married dad before she told him she wanted no children. To Hermione that was almost an imprisonable crime, especially if her dad was anything like Harry. She remembered Harry had wanted a family for as long as she had known him, right from when they were eleven years old. She knew just how devastated Harry would be if that had happened to him.

Hermione fell asleep as she wondered if she should be any different with her father. Finally deciding she would just carry on showing him she loved him, she had a smile on her face when she remembered the connection she had seen between Harry and dad; '_dad has an adopted son now even if he doesn't know it yet_'. with that thought she drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Hermione Granger, heaven sent.

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Quote from Oscar Wilde that reminds me of Molly Weasley.

'_Some people cause happiness wherever they go; others 'whenever' they go'_

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Chapter 4.

It was still dark when Hermione woke up, she looked around the room and she wondered at first what it was that had disturbed her, and then she heard the quiet sobs coming from the other bed. Sitting up she called over to Harry in just barely above a whisper. She heard the intake of breath and she knew he was suppressing his tears just as he had always done in the life before.

"Harry why don't you come over here for a while?" she whispered.

She could hear him getting out of the bed before she could make out his shape in the dark. Once he reached her bed she held back the cover and asked him to lie down with her, he seemed to hesitate for a few seconds before he climbed into the bed with her.

Hermione hugged him tight and tried to comfort him, she asked what had woken him. Harry held firmly in this girls arms, this strangers arms, felt more relaxed and safe than he could ever remember being before. He had no idea why he trusted her so much but he did.

"I… it's just… I was wondering why nobody loves me," Harry admitted rather quietly, tears still escaping even though he was trying to stop them.

Hermione was shocked, she had never once given any thought about how the young Harry had actually felt, growing up with his family always telling him he was unloved and unwanted, and those were just the polite things they said to him. It wasn't till right there with him revealing his feelings to her that she gave it any real thought. Before she had simply thought oh how awful, but now she actually thought about it.

Holding him tighter she said "Oh Harry you are loved and you are wanted, I love you, and I know my dads going to love you." She thought how sad he must get when he saw other children being hugged by loving parents, how hurt when his cousin sat opening Christmas or birthday presents, and all the other things he had never had.

Harry hadn't a clue why but he believed her when she said she loved him. Even if he did only have a vague idea what she meant. He wasn't even sure what love was. He just wanted someone to hold him when he was hurt, to cuddle him when he got lonely; he simply wanted someone to look after him, someone to be nice to him.

"What does it feel like?" he asked in his quiet voice.

"What do you mean Harry?" Hermione whispered back scared that if she spoke to loud he would stop this unique revelation of his feelings, something he had never done before.

"What's love like?" he whispered back.

"Wow Harry that is almost impossible to answer, people have been trying to write or say what love is for hundreds maybe even thousands of years. All I can tell you is, love is a feeling like no other, it comes in many forms, love is wanting someone to be happy even at the expense of your own happiness.

It's wanting to be with that one someone all the time, its being unable to live without that certain person in your life.

It's something I think we all have to feel and then we know what it is like." Hermione answered, totally unsure how to tell a 10 year old what love is like. She decided she would leave out the feelings of desire and need and all that, he would never understand that, not yet. As she felt him eventually fall asleep in her arms she cursed the Dursleys for the way they had treated him.

Hermione was woken up at ten o clock the next morning when her mother came into the room with two cups of tea. Hermione could not remember ever having slept so soundly or so late before.

Helen Granger looked at her daughter lying in bed with her arms still wrapped around a sleeping Harry with a look of contentment on her face.

As her mother went to wake him, Hermione shook her head then placed a finger to her lips to indicate she did not want him woken up yet. Gently she pulled her arms from around him and rolled off the bed. Catching hold of her mother's hand Hermione pulled Helen out of the room and they walked down to the kitchen.

"Hermione Jane Granger that boy was in your bed!" Helen said stating the blindingly obvious.

"Mum it was absolutely awful, I woke up when I heard him sobbing in the middle of the night. Do you know what he asked me? He asked me why does nobody love him. He didn't even know what love is like. I tried to explain but I don't think I did a very good job of it," Hermione said as she fought back her tears.

"Why would he ask such a question?" Helen asked already having a good idea why.

"Mum that's the kind of people he was living with. They have never once shown him even a tiny little kindness. They taunted him with things like nobody loves you, or you're just a waste of food. A freak who doesn't deserve to live," Hermione said hoping to get through to her mother.

After Hermione had fetched Harry down for breakfast Helen decided to take him shopping for some new clothes. If he was going to be staying with them while she and Richard humoured their daughter at least he should look decent.

Hermione was left at home with her father while Harry went with her mother; Helen had said she did not want him to be embarrassed by having a girl around while buying his under wear. Then with Harry's hand held firmly in her own they left the house.

Hermione spent the next three hours talking to her father, and thinking about the life Harry had had to live for nine, what must have been very long and lonely years. She told Richard what Harry had asked her in the middle of the night. To her surprise she saw a tear slip from his eye and roll down his cheek. She was about to say something about it but changed her mind at the very last second. Her dad wouldn't want to look like a weak cry baby in front of his daughter. Instead she asked him what she should do, what she should tell Harry.

"You don't need to tell him anything sweetie, all you need to do is show the poor boy some love. I know you told your mum you intend to marry him some day, so until that day comes you just give him all the love you can," Richard said as he patted her hand.

Hermione gave her dad a hug and as she did so she realised she had never seen this gentle deep loving side of him before. She had known he loved her as much as a father can love his only child, but she had only ever seen the strong side of him. The side of him that had always been there for her, willing to protect her with his very life if he had too.

When her mother returned with Harry there was something different about the Helen Granger that walked into the kitchen, her arm held gently across Harry's shoulder. She bent over and gave him a kiss on his cheek and told him to go and help himself to a slice of cake. Dropping the shopping on the counter top Helen sat down and tears began to fall silently down her cheeks. She watched Harry with what Hermione thought was a look of joy in her eyes.

An hour later after Helen and Hermione had added a new desk and a cupboard to Hermione's room for Harry. Hermione asked what had happened while they were out shopping. What ever it had been caused Helen to once again shed some tears.

Helen hesitated before she spoke and Hermione got the feeling her mother was not going to tell her.

"His back is what happened," Helen said as she finished putting Harry's new clothes in the drawer.

"His back? What do you mean mum?" Hermione asked worried in case the healers had missed something.

"You haven't seen it yet then?" Helen whispered "and he's such a lovely child, so thoughtful and kind and polite and truthful."

The next few minutes had Hermione speechless, as she was about to speak again to her mum Harry came into the room.

"Er Mu… Mrs Granger, am I allowed to use some warm water when I have my shower?" Harry asked as he stood in the door way.

Helen stepped up to him and dropped to her knees bringing Harry into a hug, "Harry darling you can use anything you like," she told him as she kissed his cheek. Standing up and ruffling his untidy hair "off you go and be careful you don't burn your self with the hot water."

Helen was sniffling as she stepped back to close the drawer she had placed Harry's new shirts in. she looked at her daughter and then grabbed Hermione into a tight hug, "I love you so much Hermione Jane," she said before she left the room, leaving Hermione wondering what had happened.

Hermione laid out some of the new clothes on his bed for Harry to wear after he finished in the shower. Ten minutes later he walked back into the bedroom.

"I had an ice cream," he said smiling like he had just been awarded a prize.

"Here you go Harry, I've put some clothes out for you," Hermione said as she began to clear her bed space, while thinking how strange it sounded for a ten year old to say he had had an ice cream like it was a special event.

Hermione got to see Harry's back as he began to put his new shirt on. "Harry! Oh god!" she said as she looked at the scars across his little back, he looked like he had been whipped, and not so long ago.

"Don't put that shirt on yet," she said as she pulled her potions kit from her trunk. She was so glad that her mum had insisted on buying all her school stuff while they had been out buying a wand. Twenty minutes later Hermione was rubbing some scar removing potion into Harry's back,

"That will begin to remove some of those scars" she said as she helped him put his shirt on.

She had made enough potion for a weeks supply, and she hoped that would be enough to remove the majority of the scars. That night just before they went to bed, Hermione gave Harry his dose of the potion supplied by the healer at St Mungo's, it was a small ritual they did every night until all the potions were finished and Harry had grown to be what would have been his true size had his aunt fed him properly.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

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Hermione Granger, heaven sent.

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Chapter 5.

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In the time between September and Christmas Hermione began to teach Harry about magic. She taught him about potions and she also taught him about quite a few spells and charms, though he was unable to do any actual magic in case he revealed his where about's to the wizarding world.

It hadn't taken Hermione long to see the relationship that was developing between Harry and her mum and dad, she had expected it from her dad but her mum had surprised her.

Dad had begun to walk around the house whistling and occasionally singing until someone asked him to stop torturing their ear drums. He took it all in good humour and it seemed nothing could upset him. Hermione thought it was the influence of having Harry around that had her dad so cheerful.

Three weeks before Christmas Hermione began to notice that the memories from her old life were beginning to fade, it was on the Tuesday of that week she began writing down what she decided were all the important things to know. She finally finished what she had termed her 'memoirs of the future' on the Friday before Christmas, sitting back on her bed with a sigh she began to wonder why the memories of her old life were getting so hard to recall and yet she could remember all the spell and charm work. She could remember all the healing potions and other things about healing, but things like how old she had been when she died, was she retired or was she still working she could not remember.

She was brought from her thoughts and back to reality when Harry popped his head in the bedroom to say lunch was ready. As soon as Harry's face poked around the door Hermione's heart gave a little flutter. She was developing new and real feelings for her best friend, and they had nothing to do with the few memories of her old life that remained, nothing to do with her visit to heaven. She was an eleven year old girl with a crush on him; a crush she knew this time would grow into full blown love.

On that Friday afternoon Hermione managed to talk her mum and dad into taking them to Diagon Alley. As they walked through the Leaky Cauldron Harry was almost besieged by witches and wizards wanting to shake his hand and welcome him back into the world of magic. After fighting off the crowd's Richard took them all into Gringotts, he needed to change some of his pounds into galleons and that was the place to do it.

While Richard and Helen waited in line to exchange their money, Harry wandered over to the new accounts desk; he was intrigued by the creature sitting looking extremely bored.

"Excuse me, how do I go about opening an account?" Harry asked just for something to say.

The strange little creature looked up at Harry for a second before picking up a quill "Name?"

"Harry, Harry James Potter," he answered the squeaky voice while suppressing a chuckle that wanted to burst loose.

"Harry Potter, You already have an account here sir, if you would just wait a moment," said the little creature as he climbed from his chair.

As the small creature returned to his desk with another older and slightly larger looking creature as Hermione joined Harry "What you doing Harry?" she asked.

"I was just passing time but it seems I have an account here," Harry replied sounding just a little surprised.

"That must be your Goblin account keeper then," Hermione said as she nodded toward the small creature that was waiting patiently for Harry's attention.

"Mr Griphook is my name Mr Potter sir," the Goblin said as he bowed slightly.

"I'm Harry, please call me Harry I don't like being called Mr Potter," Harry said holding out his hand to a surprised Mr Griphook.

"Right then er Harry, do you have your key?" Griphook asked holding out his hand.

"To be honest sir, I didn't even know I had an account here," Harry replied looking curiously at the little Goblin in front of him.

"No problem, no problem, just follow me please Harry, and please bring along your consort," Griphook said beginning to walk away. Harry told Mrs Granger where he and Hermione were going before they followed the Goblin into an office.

A tiny sample of Harry's blood was taken from his finger in order to prove his Potter bloodline and then he was given a key to his vault. And informed that who ever had had the original key would now find it no longer fitted the vault lock.

Ten minutes later Harry and Hermione were staring at the large pile of gold and silver in Harry's vault.

"This vault is topped up annually to a value of fifty thousand galleons," Griphook told them as they stared in shock at the money.

"Harry it's a good job that your aunt and uncle don't know about this, or they would probably have robbed you by now," Hermione said when she was able to talk again. She vaguely remembered in her other life Harry had never been short of money but she had had no idea how much he was worth. It was while Harry filled his pockets that she wondered was it for his money that that Weasley girl what ever her name was, had married him in that other life.

"Mr and Mrs Dursley are paid a large allowance annually to look after their nephew and the Potter property," Griphook said as they closed the vault "and they could never even get near to robbing Mr Potter."

"Mr Griphook, when you say they are paid to look after the Potter property, what exactly do you mean?" Hermione asked as they climbed aboard a cart that would take them back up to the main banking hall.

"Why young Mr Potter's house, number four Privet Drive, of course," Griphook answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't live with them any more," Harry said as the cart gained speed, it was like a roller coaster he had seen pictures of.

"Harry lives with me, his aunt and uncle were cruel and evil, on the day I went to fetch Harry he had a freshly broken arm and a burst ear drum amongst suffering from malnutrition and other injuries," Hermione stated somewhat annoyed that the Dursleys were being paid yet never spent a penny on Harry.

Griphook looked up at Harry "Well if you no longer live with them I don't see the need to give them the allowance, so if you are agreeable Harry I shall have the allowance stopped and have them removed from your house."

Harry just nodded and looked at Hermione for her opinion, she also nodded her agreement.

"Okay," Harry said slowly while thinking he would love to witness his relatives being thrown onto the street.

Griphook also asked if he could look at some of Harry's memories of his childhood, Harry having no idea why or how the Goblin wanted to see his memories readily agreed, ten minutes later a rather angry Griphook told Harry that Gringotts would be using every method at their disposal to retrieve the monies paid to his uncle as he had obviously fraudulently acquired it and spent the money on his son and not on Harry. Harry was still quite happily picturing his relatives sitting on the pavement out side number four, eating their evening meal off aunt Petunia's best china while complaining at the kids racing past on skateboards, so did not pay much attention to what his vault keeper was saying.

Harry excitedly told Mr and Mrs Granger about his vault and how much money he had as soon as he and Hermione rejoined them. Richard informed Harry that fifty thousand galleons worked out at roughly 250 thousand pounds. For a boy who had never had as much as one single pound in his life 250 thousand pounds sounded like the vast amount of money it was, and was far beyond his imagination to picture.

With all their Christmas shopping done they all had a leisurely meal in the Leaky Cauldron before going home.

That night Hermione was in the bathroom brushing her teeth before going to bed when there was a knock on the door and her mum asked if they could talk. Unlocking the door and then returning to brushing her teeth Hermione wondered what her mother wanted, it was normally something personal if her mother came to talk while she was in the bathroom.

Helen walked into the bathroom and locked the door, "I'll put the shower on so we aren't over heard," she said as she turned the lock.

Hermione smiled and pulled her wand out "No need for that mum," she said giving the wand a quick wave. As soon as she had cast the spell Hermione remembered the law on under age magic, she prayed that her mistake like all her previous magic she had done since starting over had not been registered. She made the decision that she would look into why she had not heard from Mafalda Hopkirk like Harry had done when Dobby the elf had performed magic at number 4 privet drive, it seemed some how odd that she was able to get away with such a thing in both time lines.

Helen Granger sat nervously on the side of the bath tub, as she twisted her hands and rubbed them repeatedly down her skirt, she suddenly blurted out "Hermione love, I'm having a baby, I'm pregnant!"

It took several seconds for the words to make any sense to Hermione, and then everything began to fall into place, her dad walking around smiling and singing, her mum being in the bathroom longer than usual in the mornings, the odd mood swings.

"Oh mum that's wonderful, Oh but I thought you didn't want any children," Hermione said wondering whether to hug her mum in congratulations or whether to say she was sorry.

"It was all down to Harry, he's the reason I'm pregnant," Helen said as she hugged Hermione rather tightly.

"Mum you do know that what you just said sounds absolutely awful, blaming a ten year old for getting you pregnant," Hermione laughed realising her mum was actually happy about being pregnant.

Helen gave Hermione a gentle tap on her arm "Hermione Jane Granger!"

"How did Harry have anything to do with this enormous change in attitude?" Hermione asked.

Helen told Hermione how the day she took Harry to buy his clothes something had happened in the shop and when Helen had seen his back and hugged him, Harry had simply said "I wish you could be my new mum. He woke something up in me that day, something I had forgotten about. He made me remember how happy I was when you were born, how happy both your dad and I were the day we brought you home for the first time. I told your dad that night I wanted another baby."

Hermione hugged her mum again "I'm so glad having Harry here makes us all so happy. Dad has even started to call him son occasionally."

It was a very happy mother and daughter who went to bed that night, to think about the new baby and to wonder would it be a boy or a girl. Hermione whispered the news to Harry as she leaned over him to kiss him goodnight on his cheek before she went over to climb into her own bed and sleep, until Harry would invariably wake up haunted by nightmares of his beatings and climb into bed with her looking for her strength to give him comfort and peace of mind so that he could fall back asleep safely in her arms.

.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Hermione Granger, heaven sent.

Chapter 6

"Richard… oh for pete's sake wake up," Helen Granger said as she shook her husband vigorously.

Richard tiredly opened one eye "What is it?"

"I just heard one of our children go down stairs, come on get up or we will miss seeing them open their gifts," Helen told him as she stood up and pulled on her dressing gown.

Richard grumbled as he sat up and swung his legs off the bed, putting his feet in to his slippers he grumbled again. Helen might have been worried about him grumbling except for the smile on his face and the look of anticipation that showed in his eyes, letting her know it was all for show.

As she walked to the door she stopped when her husband spoke "You do know you said 'one of our children'," he said as he placed his arms around her and hugged her.

"I did didn't I, it's just that, well Harry, he's so lovable, how on earth could his aunt have hated him so much," Helen whispered in to Richards shoulder.

Richard nodded his head while wondering when she had really begun to think of the boy that lived with them as one of her own, he him self had accepted the boy almost from the first moment they had met and for reasons he did not know or try to understand he was not bothered about the pair of children sharing a bed like they did.

He remembered sadly how Harry had been brutally honest with him when he had asked about his injuries, and the family he lived with. The way the boy had spoken about the abuse and had thought it was a normal way of life for everyone who had a nephew to look after, had made Richard angry.

The thing that really had Richard fuming and his blood boiling was when he found out the fact that the teachers in the small school Harry had attended had accepted what the Dursleys had told them about Harry being a tearaway who was hard to control, and they had accepted the lies without question even going so far as to practically assist in the cruelty, they had done absolutely nothing about the Dursley boy constantly bullying Harry.

As Helen dragged him down the stairs they both tried to be as quiet as they could. They had done the same thing every Christmas since Hermione had been big enough to get down stairs on her own.

Each year they crept into the living room and watched as Hermione opened her presents; she took them carefully one by one from under the Christmas tree and carefully unwrapped them and folded the wrapping paper before examining the gifts. It was always a great delight when they saw her eyes light up and some times she would even gasp in joy at some gift or other.

This year as they silently opened the living room door they were surprised to find no one in the room, seconds later the quiet rattling of plates came from the kitchen. Arm in arm they walked to the kitchen door and looked in.

Harry stood on a stool as he cracked the eggs and poured them carefully into the frying pan, and then when they were cooked, with a spatula he carefully lifted the fried eggs onto a large plate, before he took the frying bacon from the other side of the cooker. Very carefully he climbed down from the chair and placed it to one side before taking the plates of bacon and eggs over to the table.

Helen and Richard watched in awe as the little boy cooked the food to perfection, they both had tears in their eyes when they heard Harry placing the eggs on to the individual plates he had placed on the table.

"Two for the father, two for the mother, one for the sweetheart, and one for me," he chanted as he filled the plates, he did the same when he placed the bacon on the plates then one plate at a time he placed them into the oven to keep warm. He was just about to go wake everyone when they all heard Hermione.

"Morning mum, dad, is Harry in the kitchen?"

Helen and Richard beckoned for Hermione to join them as they walked in to the kitchen. As they took their seats at the kitchen table Harry placed a plate in front of them. "Happy Christmas," he said smiling.

"Thanks Harry," Richard said smiling back at the boy who was rapidly becoming a son to him.

"Thank you son," Helen said as she gave him a tight hug.

A rather sleepy Hermione had to rub her eyes and look again as she watched her mum embrace Harry, who she had just called son.

After the breakfast was finished, Helen had insisted she washed the dishes stopping Harry as he tried to reach the tap to turn on the hot water. As soon as the dishes were done they all walked into the living room.

Hermione sat down in front of the Christmas tree and began opening her first present. Harry sat down on the couch to watch just as he had always been made to do every year at the Dursleys.

Richard was sitting thinking about the Monday after Harry had first arrived with Hermione. _At nine a.m. on that Monday morning, Richard had stormed into the Little Whinging primary school, head masters office and demanded an explanation about the treatment Harry Potter had received while he was one of their pupils._

_When the headmaster replied that they had treated the boy no worse than he deserved Richard lost his temper and thumped the head master on his nose, when the man cowered back and threatened to call the police Richard picked up the phone and offered it to him._

"_Go ahead, phone the police, it will just save me the job," he growled at the frightened teacher. As the man did not take the phone Richard placed it back where he got it from._

"_Sit your sorry carcase down," he hissed dragging the man to his chair. "I have a little story to tell you before I report the fact that one of your pupils was rescued from his aunt and uncle in a badly beaten state, removed from them for his safety._

_A few years ago a little one year old boy named Harry Potter was placed with his aunt and uncle the day after both his parents were murdered. The little boy was hated by his relatives because his aunt had once been rejected by the boy's father. The aunt tried all she could to seduce her sisters husband but when she failed she began to hate both him and her sister. _

_As Harry's only living relative the boy was placed in her care. Instead of caring for the child she turned her hatred for his parents on him, both her husband and her son were dragged into this web of hate and they both began to beat the child. _

_For nine years Harry Potter was subjected to starvation and cruel beatings, and you who have been placed in this position of trust instead of helping the boy, you made his life even worse," Richard almost thumped the man again when he began to make up excuses._

_Richard placed the St Mungo's medical report on Harry on the head masters desk, being a muggle when the head master began to read, it looked like a medical report from the local hospital, he had only read the part that began with severe malnutrition and several incorrectly healed broken bones that needed to be re-broken and set properly, he was just beginning to read the part containing the more recent injuries that included a broken arm and several broken ribs as well as severe bruising to the side of the head, when Richard grabbed him by his shirt front._

"_I believe you have three teachers here as well as your self, I will give you all just 48 hours to resign, if any of you are still here when I return I will see to it you all spend some time in prison, and if I hear of any of you taking up a position as a teacher again I will come after you, do you understand." Snatching the report from the mans hand Richard let him go and walked to the door "just 48 hours," he hissed as he left the office_.

Richard was brought back to the present when he heard Helen say rather loudly "You have to be kidding."

~*~*~*~

Hermione woke up to find Harry was not in bed with her, for the first time since the first night he had arrived. Since that first night when she had invited him to join her in bed, each night sometime during the night, Harry would join her in her bed, and she would hug him tight not falling back to sleep herself until she knew he was fast asleep. She had also discovered that she her self always slept better when she had Harry safely held in her arms.

Now as she looked around the room and realised it was Christmas day, she thought maybe he had woken up and gone down to open his presents. Pulling on her dressing gown she made her way down to the living room only to find that Harry was not there, looking over to the kitchen door she saw her mum and dad standing there, she asked them if Harry was in the kitchen and they beckoned her to join them.

Taking a wistful look at the presents under the Christmas tree she sighed just a little, the Christmas tree was and always had been her first place to go on Christmas morning. She was surprised when she walked into the kitchen and saw Harry placing a plate in front of her dad.

As soon as breakfast was finished Hermione took hold of Harry's hand and led him into the living room, she let go when she sat down on the carpet in front of the tree and began to pull out her first gift.

As Hermione finished unwrapping her second present she wondered why Harry had not yet started to open his presents, it seemed a little odd that a boy would not be ripping enthusiastically at the wrappings to see what he had been bought.

"Aren't you going to open your presents Harry?" Hermione asked as she turned to look at him.

Harry sat unmoving with his mouth hanging open and stared at Hermione.

"Harry?" she said turning a little more toward him.

"Presents, you mean I have presents? Wow I never had a present before," Harry gasped as he moved forward to join Hermione on the carpet.

Hermione then remembered rather vaguely a time when a red haired boy had told her Harry had never had a present before going to Hogwarts, she felt like crying for him yet again but instead she pulled him into a hug and said "Well you have some now."

Helen Granger could not believe her ears when she heard Harry say he had never had a present before, "Didn't you get a present when you got your birthday cards?" she asked.

"I've never had a birthday card either," Harry answered quite innocently and they knew he was telling the truth.

"You have to be Kidding," Helen said almost shouting "why those evil, ooh just wait till I get my hands on them."

An extremely happy Harry sat down with Hermione and began to open the presents addressed to him, there were several books on magic that Hermione had recommended to her parents. The last present he opened was from Hermione, carefully he unwrapped it and just as Hermione had done he folded up the wrapping paper before opening the small box he held.

Having said wow Harry threw his arms around Hermione and kissed her cheek as he thanked her for the watch she had bought him, he had never had anything so great in all his life he declared as he gave her a final squeeze.

With all the presents open Harry began to remove the rubbish and after placing it all in the bin he walked over to Helen and gave her a thank you as he hugged her around her waist. He then turned to Richard and thanked him as well.

"This is the best Christmas ever," Harry declared before picking a book to read.

Hermione felt a tiny little bit disappointed when she realised that she had not received a gift from Harry, but she thought that never having had any himself or the money or reason to buy his evil relatives a Christmas present perhaps he did not know any better yet.

At nine a.m. precisely Richard went to answer a knock at the front door, just a few seconds later he called for Hermione. She joined her father at the door and was asked to sign for a rather large box by a young woman who wore an odd mixture of clothes that Hermione knew were the woman's' idea of how muggles dressed. Taking the box from the woman and then struggling into the living room with it, Hermione puffed as she placed the box on the couch. The small tag attached to the top of the box said simply 'Hermione Happy Christmas, from Harry, courtesy of Griphook'.

Opening the box Hermione was surprised to find someone she recognised instantly "Crookshanks," she yelled as she pulled the little kitten kneazle cross from a cat basket. The rest of the box was filled with at least a year's supply of cat food, litter and other stuff.

An elated Hermione, after hugging her new pet, and placing him on the floor to take a look around his new home, almost stopped Harry from breathing when she gave him a really tight hug and several kisses on his cheeks, gone was the disappointment of no present from him and it was replaced by a surge in the love that had been steadily growing in her heart for this slightly different Harry. Harry explained when he had had the chance he had asked Griphook to buy something for her Christmas present, something her mum and dad could share in. he had no idea what the Goblin would send but he was very pleased she was happy with the kitten.

An hour later as both Hermione and Harry sat together reading through the books they had been bought, crookshanks sitting in Hermione's lap while she absently scratched behind his ear. there was a persistent tapping on the window. Hermione got up and opened the window to allow an owl into the room. Both Helen and Richard thought Hermione had gone crazy as the owl fluttered around the room then landed on the table in front of Harry.

Harry had never seen an owl before and he stared at it wondering if it would bite if he tried to stroke it. As he reached out his hand and stroked the birds head it lifted its leg to him showing that there was a small envelope tied there.

Hermione reached over as she spoke to the Owl "Is it ok if I take that? Harry has never had Owl post before," she said gently.

The Owl turned to face Hermione and held out its leg to her, she removed the letter and asked the bird to wait while she fetched it some water and something for him to eat. It did not take long before she returned from her quick dash into the kitchen, she placed the bowl of water and the few pieces of bacon that were left from breakfast on the table for the bird, it was as the bird took a drink Hermione remembered the letter and passed it to Harry.

Harry opened the envelope and began to read the letter, as soon as he had finished without a word he passed it to Hermione and her eyes lit up a large smile appearing on her face. Hermione passed the letter to her dad and he read it out.

_To Mr H. J. Potter._

_Mr Potter sir, with regard to your property 'number 4 Privet Drive Little Whinging', your presence at the vacating of the property will be required at 3 o clock this afternoon. _

_I will be there in person as there are several forms that require your signature. My apologies for not notifying you at an earlier time or date._

_Your servant_

_Griphook. _

_Appointed Potter Family Vault keeper_.

"Harry, I think when we next see Griphook, you should ask him why your vault would need to be topped up if you didn't know you had one. It's patently obvious you were not able to take any money out. So who did and why was it allowed?" Hermione said after reading the letter.

Just a few minutes after the owl had left Helen answered yet another knock on the front door, shaking her head and sighing at all the interruptions to their normal Christmas routine she walked from the kitchen.

A couple of minutes later Helen entered the kitchen followed by Albus Dumbledore, Hermione was both pleased and annoyed, because it meant if he could find them then so could any one else that took the trouble.

"Good morning Professor," Hermione said as she took hold of Harry's hand. She did not trust Albus Dumbledore and she would not put it past him to whisk her Harry away while pretending to be shaking Harry's hand.

Albus noted the look Hermione gave him as he shook the hand of Harry Potter, the future saviour of the wizarding world. "I happen to have overheard as Griphook told the owl the address, most fortuitous being at Gringotts and walking past Griphook's office at just the right time," Albus said as he held out his hand to Richard and then introduced him self.

Turning to Hermione Dumbledore smiled "You were of course correct in your assumption that I would not be able to find young Harry, it was a matter of sheer luck that I was at Gringotts on Christmas day. Now is there anywhere I can talk privately to Harry?"

"You just have to be joking, if you think for one moment I am going to give you the slightest chance to return Harry to his relatives you are totally crazy," Hermione almost shouted, "apart from that there are no secrets in this house."

"Might I sit? these old legs are not what they were," Albus asked looking at Helen.

Helen nodded then offered the old man a drink. "Maybe a wine to warm you."

"Tea would be nice, just one small lump of sugar," Albus replied.

After fifteen minutes of small talk and a few tales about Hogwarts and its founders, Albus suddenly asked if they had a cellar or basement room.

Richard was the one that answered telling the old head master that they had a rather large cellar.

"So Miss Granger I don't suppose you have been able to practice your spells, and if as I suspect you have been teaching Harry about magic, he has not been able to actually see the things you are trying to teach him, would I be correct in these assumptions?" Albus said turning to Hermione.

"Well with the laws forbidding underage magic, we have only been able to learn a few spells using small canes as wands to learn the wand movements." Hermione replied wondering where the head master was taking this conversation.

Dumbledore thoughtfully stroked his beard a while before turning to the Granger adults "There may shortly come a time when this family and many more like it will be in grave danger, especially Harry, but you your selves being the parents of Hermione who it seems is destined to be the greatest witch for a thousand years, will also be in grave danger. Might I propose that given your permission of course, I place sufficient protection around your cellar to protect you from that danger. It will offer you a place of refuge should you need it."

Richard looked at the old man and studied his face for quite some time before he nodded his agreement, Helen agreed, because she was a mother and she wanted to be able to keep her small family safe.

Hermione offered to show Dumbledore down to the cellar, and she then whispered into her mum's ear that one of them should keep hold of Harry all the time that the Professor was in the house. Hermione stayed in the cellar until Albus had begun to place the wards, saying she was going to ask her mum to make a drink she left him to carry on alone.

Using the surges in magic that Dumbledore was creating to cover what she was doing, Hermione walked around outside the house and placed wards of her own design around the property. The house was now visible to the muggles though if asked where it was they would be unable to understand the question, of the magical people, only those who knew the password would now be able to enter the property, or even find it, she hoped that there was no one magical out in the lane to watch as the house disappeared from view to the wizarding world.

At two thirty Dumbledore was still working down in the cellar, so unable to leave the old man alone in their home. Hermione told her mum and dad that she would take Harry to Privet Drive at ten minutes before three. Both parents were disappointed having planned on explaining to the Dursleys their displeasure at how Harry had been treated. Hermione got the impression from her mum that she had planned on beating Petunia Dursley to a pulp, and from the look on her father's face he had roughly the same thing planned for Vernon.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Hermione Granger, heaven sent.

Chapter 7

Albus Dumbledore climbed the stair from the cellar twenty minutes before three; he was feeling just a little tired and slightly confused. For reasons he could not work out he had felt a sort of echo each time he had used his magic. He had been setting up wards for many years now and he had never once in all that time noticed a secondary surge in the magic surrounding him, shrugging his shoulders in confusion he decided he was too tired at the moment and he would think about it later.

Almost as soon as he entered the kitchen Hermione informed him they were about to leave to visit number four Privet Drive. Not wanting to miss any opportunity to reasert his hold on things he asked if he could accompany them, he offered to make them a portkey so that they could all travel there and back together. All the Grangers eagerly agreed, each one of them looking forward to meeting the Dursley's. Hermione her old memories all but gone and forgotten had one or two things she wondered if she could risk doing, while Richard and Helen had plans of their own.

The scene at number four Privet Drive was like some thing from a comedy movie, several what looked like small men, who were actually Goblins under a glamour charm were carrying furniture out of the house while Vernon and Petunia were trying to take furniture back in to the house, the Dursleys were of course fighting a losing battle.

Quite a few of the neighbours were standing around watching the free performance, while a quite a few more were listening to a young woman who was asking Harry's cousin Dudley questions.

Dudley was having an in depth discussion with the young woman, well as in depth as can be achieved by some one who was as thick as Dudley. With his brain running at full speed he could still actually make a house brick look like a computer, and he was enjoying every moment of his boasting about how they had all treated his cousin Harry. Hermione overheard the last of his remarks, while noticing the woman taking a vast amount of notes.

"And so Dudley when was the last time you saw your cousin Harry?" the woman asked.

"Well last time I saw him was around tea time the day when dad gave him a hiding, punched the doo doo out of him and threw him across the floor for not cooking me enough bacon that morning, dad dragged him to his cupboard threw him inside and I haven't seen him since." Dudley replied to the young woman, it was obvious from his huge grin that he had enjoyed watching his cousin being beaten.

"Really, what cupboard was that?" the woman asked.

"Oh just the little one under the stairs, that's where the freak sleeps, mum told him it was his bedroom when he first arrived. 'course' he gets locked in there for days at a time without food if I can get him into trouble and thats easy, dad loves punishing the little freak. Dad says we should buy a kennel and put the little freak out in the back garden, but if they did that he wouldn't be able to do the cooking and cleaning first thing in the morning. Still I'll miss him if he's run off, I have to wander around the neighbourhood now looking for some one else to beat up." Dudley told her puffing out his chest.

Several of the neighbours gasped as the truth about the small boy they had all shunned and treated so badly came out of Dudley's mouth. There were several women in the crowd who at that moment truly felt sick to their stomachs, as they realised that they had added to the cruelty toward an innocent young child.

It was just then that the young woman spotted an angry looking Hermione, leaving Dudley she made her way across the lawn to Hermione. "Hello, I'm Janet Frobisher, I wonder do you know the young boy who lived here?" she asked.

"Hello I'm Hermione, and if you are asking about Harry, I'm his girlfriend," Hermione replied.

"So Hermione tell me, how do they treat Harry here?"

"You just heard a rather good description of Harry's day to day life with his aunt and uncle from Dudley; I don't think anything I say will be any different. Though I will tell you that the day Dudley was talking about, Harry was pretty severely beaten. He had a perforated eardrum, broken arm and ribs and several previous breaks that needed to be reset." Hermione replied as Harry came around from the back of the house.

Reaching Hermione the first thing Harry did was to take hold of her hand and give her a nervous look, Hermione gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

When Albus joined them the young woman seemed to become some what confused and wandered away from them, pulling out of her pocket a small two way radio she called for police assistance to arrest two on charges of child cruelty. Hermione realising that Dumbledore had just cast a mild silent confundus charm on Miss Frobisher decided to give the old man a little of his own treatment. While everyone was watching the Dursleys she cast a surreptitious Obliviate at the old man and quickly removed the memory of their address from his mind.

Five minutes later all the Dursleys belongings were piled out in the roadway out side number four, three small men were busy changing the locks on the doors of number four. Uncle Vernon noticed Harry had arrived and with a bellow he rushed at the small boy his fist raised yelling that it was all his fault, and he was going to teach him a lesson he would never forget.

Thankfully Vernon never managed to reach Harry as Richard stepped forward and hit Vernon with a brilliant right hook knocking the fat man down. Richards second hit when Vernon rose and came back for more, removed four of Vernon's front teeth and broke his nose. Vernon hit the floor unconscious, meanwhile Petunia had ill advisedly taken a swing with her hand bag at Harry.

Helen Granger had taken a leaf from her husbands' book and hit Petunia with a right upper cut followed by a left hook that definitely knocked a few teeth out. Hermione was about as angry as she had ever been and was about to turn Vernon into a rather fat pig, luckily for the uncle two police men turned up in time to save Vernon from Hermione's wrath. After statements from various witnesses both Vernon and Petunia were placed in to a waiting police car and driven away, Dudley was placed into the back seat of Janet Frobisher's car and he too was driven away.

Harry may have been a little young to want revenge on his relatives, but as he watched Mr Granger thump his huge uncle he felt a small sense of pleasure at knowing that there was at last some one to protect him from the beatings he had become so used to. He watched as Mrs Granger laid his aunt out on the lawn and he understood what Hermione had meant when she told him it was wrong to hit a child like him, it was wrong to lock him in a cupboard and to starve him of any affection. Harry now knew that he would never again be without some one who loved him.

The warm glow he felt towards the Grangers he knew now that it was love, he remembered Hermione's words when she said that love was some thing we need to feel in order to know what it was, well he felt that now and he knew it.

There was just the one thing that had him a little confused, his feelings for Hermione were different, warmer some how, more intense, more something else, something he could not yet describe, but he also knew that she felt the same way about him and that made him even happier than watching uncle Vernon have his nose broken.

One of the small men approached Mr Granger and informed them that Mr Griphook had requested Harry's presence in the house. Several form signings later Harry was handed the keys to number four. Hermione asked Griphook about Harry's vault needing to be topped up, and why that was as Harry had never known about the vault. Point taken Mr Griphook vanished to begin the investigation into misapropriated funds, leaving just the Grangers and Dumbledore standing with Harry in the empty living room. Dumbledore had a rather seriously worried frown on his face.

Harry stood looking at the keys in his hand wondering what he was supposed to do with a house. He definitely did not wish to live there and he knew he was to young to actually live there alone anyway. Shrugging his shoulders he handed the keys to Mr Granger with a comment that surprised yet pleased the older man, "There you go dad," Harry said without thinking.

Richard looked down at the keys Harry had just given him and like Harry he too wondered what he was supposed to do with the house.

Albus Dumbledore stood and watched all that had happened, he too had over heard Dudley's boast about Harry's treatment while with the Dursleys. A few small tears ran down into his beard as he finally realised just how bad his judgement had been, how close he had come to creating yet another Voldemort. If it were not for Harry's amazing resilience and eventual rescue by Hermione he may well have grown up to be the next Tom Riddle, unloved and mistreated, living forever filled with anger and hate. Albus knew he owed a great debt of gratitude to the fiery little witch named Hermione Jane Granger, and he agreed with Minerva's assessment. Hermione was going to be the greatest witch of the millennium, the one who would take up the reigns of Rowena Ravenclaw. From now onward he decided he would do all he could to help her in what ever way he could as long as it was for the greater good, if he remained free long enough to help that is.

One of the neighbour's in the crowd must have called the local council because even though it was Christmas day a trash wagon turned up and a team of men began to clear the road, the Dursleys property was thrown into the back of the wagon and crushed.

Using the portkey they all arrived back at the Granger house just two hours after they left. Dumbledore thanked the Grangers for taking Harry from the life he himself had unwittingly placed the boy in, he then asked Harry to find it in his heart to one day forgive an old man his mistakes, that done Albus tried to dissaparate and failed.

Hermione grinned and offered to walk the head master to the gate; she knew that as soon as he left the property he would never be able to find them again unless he was invited, and she could not see that happening. This time around she was not as naive, and did not have her previous trust in authority figures.

As they ate supper Richard Granger mixed them all some eggnog and for the first time he had no qualms about allowing his daughter to have a small glass. As Harry crawled into Hermione's bed some time in the middle of the night she smiled when she heard him whisper,

"I know what love is now Hermione, and I love you."

Hermione pulled him close and fell asleep with Harry wrapped tightly in her arms, she slept better that night than she had ever slept before. Her sleep was filled with beautiful dreams of heaven, children, Harry, and love.

Helen Granger lay in bed and gently rubbed the small swelling that was now growing in her stomach and she thought of that first day when she took Harry shopping.

They had between them selected several vests and underpants for him but she had not been sure about his size, one of the shop assistants offered to help and led them to a small changing area, both she and the assistant had gasped in horror when Harry pulled off his far to big ragged shirt and revealed the multiple scars on his back, Helen stared as the appalled shop assistant asked him how he had got them.

"Oh that was before last week, it's okay though because now I have someone who will look after me and love me," he answered innocently before he turned to Helen and smiled "Hermione's mum and dad are great they saved me, you know."

Helen could not help the tear that she shed when the small beaten boy turned and quite happily told the shop assistant that he wished they would be his new mum and dad now they had rescued him from his uncle Vernon.

Shop assistant and customer sat on the chairs provided in the small changing room and both of them cried for the little boy who so obviously wanted some one to love him. For some reason when Harry said he wished she would be his new mum, Helen remembered how she had felt the first time she had held Hermione, and the first time she had brought her home from the hospital. As Harry took hold of her hand and looked up at her as though amazed that she had not yelled or hit him for holding her hand, she knew she wanted another child. She also knew that from that moment on that Harry was going to be the son they never had.

She rubbed her stomach once more before turning onto her side and whispered "Thank you Harry."

Richard lay awake and wondered what his wife was thinking about, he noticed the small tear that slipped down her cheek as she rubbed her new lump, he too was amazingly happy about the pregnancy and he smiled as he saw the small smile on Helen's face as she turned on to her side and when he heard her whisper he added "Thanks from me too Harry."

Hermione woke early the next morning and as she lay in the bed, with Harry spooning her and an old memory still fresh in her mind, she wondered why on earth she had ever chosen that other boy whathisname instead of Harry. She remembered he had been her first real friend, even though they were supposed to be friends after the troll incident the other boy had not truly accepted her. He spent most of the time they were together picking fault with her, called her mental and very often made her cry. He reminded her of the bullies at her primary school and now as she remembered the things she had seen in heaven she realised how while that prat was making her cry, Harry was showing his love for her. He showed it in so many ways she now wondered how she could have possibly missed it.

Holding Harry's hand that draped across her stomach she made him a silent promise, she would never again break his heart or destroy his future. She would love him for all she was worth for all time. This time she would not bury her feelings for him, this time she would celebrate those feelings, she would make him happy. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and lifted it slowly so that she could kiss his palm before she rested his hand on her cheek for several moments as those past memories slipped from her grasp.

With the day after christmas almost over Richard suggested that they all take a trip to Diagon Alley where they could buy Harry a wand, and hopefully spend the rest of the day getting to know a little about this new world they had all found them selves a part of.

As Mr Ollivander introduced him self to Harry, Hermione suggested that Harry would be a bird of fire. It was with some surprise when fifteen minutes later Mr Ollivander gave Harry a wand with a Phoenix feather core to try, and the results were a shower of red and gold stars that totally filled the front of the shop. A very happy smiling Harry left Ollivander's shop hand in hand with Hermione, closely followed by Richard and Helen.

After a walk around the Alley looking into shop windows both Hermione and Harry asked to visit the book shop. Hermione found she was rather pleased to find that taken away from the influence of the Dursleys, and others Harry actually liked to read and learn. When she had asked him about his previous primary school and his grades Harry admitted he had been terrified of getting better grades than Dudley because it just meant another beating or at the very least a few days without food.

Having both bought two books each Richard took the family across the road to the ice cream parlour, they sat and enjoyed a rather strange magically warm Ice cream. Richard spent several minutes trying to work out how it could be done, the ice cream was warm and yet it was still ice cream. Lunch time they found a nice little restaurant that was run by a rather odd looking old man and his daughters.

Almost as soon as they arrived home Hermione and Harry made their way down to the cellar that had been shielded by Dumbledore. Hermione checked out the wards before she began to teach Harry his first real magic.

They started out just as Hermione had been doing before; it was not long before Harry was walking around the cellar with a rather large white feather floating along in front of him. Hermione taught him about transfiguration and about how she made the magic work for her. It was not long before Harry was able to transfigure a chair into a table, or a vase into a glass of water, with Hermione teaching describing in detail to him how the magic should feel and how to properly picture exactly what he wanted in his minds eye he was finding magic quite easy. Hermione wondered why he was such a quick learner this time, not realising that it was her and her teaching methods and encouragment that made the huge difference in the speed Harry learned at.

Over the next few weeks and months as soon as they arrived home from school they went down to the cellar until Helen called them up for some food. They began to spend almost every Saturday down in the cellar as well, but Sunday they went to church and spent the rest of the day with Helen and Richard neither put their wands away though, they always had them tucked into one of their pockets just in case.

Both Helen and Richard were fascinated by the magic that the two children could do, and they also spent a lot of time down in the cellar simply watching.

During the second week of July as Helen called Hermione and Harry up from the cellar for dinner on the Wednesday evening, her waters broke and minutes later the family was in the car headed for the local hospital. At four forty two on Thursday morning. Hermione Jane Granger became the proud big sister of little Andrew Terence Granger. Harry was as happy as he could have been if Andrew had been his own brother, especially when Helen introduced Andrew to them.

"Andrew Terence, meet your big sister and brother, Hermione and Harry," Helen said rather tiredly. Having spent a few minutes each holding the new arrival Hermione told Richard that she would take Harry home and that they would see him in the morning, with that said Hermione hugged Harry and then with barely a sound they disappeared.

It was just a few days before Harry's eleventh birthday that Hermione realised she could no longer remember with clarity anything at all about her previous life, the one thing she did remember most of however was her visit to heaven, and what she had seen and been told when she had been there. She had no intention of ever telling anyone about it though, not even Harry. They were her own special memories, memories to be cherished, and preserved, especially the memories of their children.

Both Harry and Hermione loved to sit on the sofa and hold little Andy on their lap. The little boy had invaded and stolen a place in all their hearts before he was even a full day old. Harry especially liked to nurse Andy because it some how reinforced his belief that mum and dad Granger loved and trusted him.

On the Saturday before Harry's birthday Hermione convinced her dad to take her shopping to buy him a gift, and of course a card. She vividly remembered Christmas when he said he had never had a birthday card. She recruited mum dad and Crookshanks in the plot to keep Harry from finding the gift she had bought for him, Crookshanks kept going crazy running around Harry's feet and then jumping up into Harry's arms every time Harry tried to enter the laundry room, luckily together they all managed to keep the present a total secret.

There was a party organised for the week end, several of the Granger family and three friends from the houses opposite were invited. Hermione painted a huge banner wishing Harry a very happy birthday. The party was in full swing when Hermione suggested it was time to give Harry his birthday presents. The gift that she gave him was a lingering kiss on each cheek, and whispering to him that he had to wait a while for his next present.

Helen and Richard gave Harry a small map of the house showing where he could find his presents off them and Hermione, with the instructions that he was not to start searching until there were no Muggles in the house.

As soon as the last guest had left the house Harry began the search for his presents, with the small clues on the map Helen had given him he soon found a broom and then a broom maintenance kit. There was even a small gift from Andy hidden in the kitchen, it was a large tub of ice cream which Harry would share between them all later. All he had left to find now was Hermione's gift; he followed the map into the cellar only to find it empty.

The cellar was one huge room that was the size of the entire house, with three pillars across the middle, at the left of the stairs was what they called the laundry room, it was the small room where the washer and dryer were kept, and oddly enough it was the only room in the house he had never been in. Opening the door slowly he stared into the darkness, then felt around for the light switch, finding the switch Harry quickly pressed it and as the light filled the room Harry saw a beautiful snowy owl sitting on top of a cage with a letter in her beak, the owl Harry named Hedwig, a name from one of the books he had glanced at.

Later as Harry sat nursing Andy on the sofa Hedwig joined them, standing on the arm of the sofa and looking at Andy. Harry introduced his new friend to his little brother, as he did so he got the impression that the owl liked the name he had given her and she was an exceptionally clever bird.

Harry opened a letter he had been sent and found it was to inform him and Hermione that two places were reserved at 'The Irish Contraho of Veneficus.' (Irish college of magic) Term started on September 1st. He and Hermione would be picked up and portkeyed to the school at eight am and returned home via portkey at five thirty pm.

The last present of the day was given to Harry by Richard, a framed copy of the official papers making the Grangers his legal guardians. When they went to bed Hermione pulled Harry into a hug and then she kissed him on his lips for the very first time. The resulting magical glow and the following magical pulse that raced through the house on out into the world outside. Had the two adult Grangers rushing up the stairs in fear, when they opened the bedroom door they were greeted by a room full of golden light, some faint heavenly music was playing and the two young ones were locked in a tight embrace kissing.

Richard tried to talk to them but even to him they were obviously engulfed in some sort of magic. As the kiss went on for quite a few seconds the heavenly music seemed to get louder and louder when it reached an almost deafening crescendo the two children were floating almost a metre above the bed. Suddenly the music ended and Harry and Hermione fell down onto the bed both fast asleep.

It was an extremely happy young boy who woke in Hermione's bed at three in the morning, smiling at the feel of the girl asleep on his chest and his heart full of love for that same girl he checked she was comfortable then fell back asleep knowing he now had a real loving family and he would be with Hermione for ever, of that he was absolutely certain.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Hermione Granger, heaven sent.

Chapter 8

At breakfast the next morning Harry sat down next to Hermione with a huge smile on his face, he couldn't remember the last time he had felt so happy. He looked at the small family around the table and once again he thought about the fact that he now had a proper family. A legal loving family and he had his Hermione.

Hermione was busy reading the letters they had both received that morning from Contraho Veneficus containing the lists for the school requirements. The booklist had slightly more advanced grades than the one from Hogwarts. The school supplies required were much more modern too, only requiring ten lined exercise books and a small supply of note books pencils and pens, two reams of paper were recommended but not required they were for general work and letters. There was no mention what so ever of robes or parchment and quills. The school uniform was like any muggle school would request their pupils to wear. School ties were on sale at the school along with the school crest for their blazers. Each pupil was also required to provide some form of overall or coverall for the combined potions, healing, and herbology class.

When Hermione had finished comparing the two schools it was obvious to her that though Hogwarts might claim to be the premier UK magic school, it was not up to the standard of the exclusive Irish school. One thing she did find odd was some thing her dad had picked up on instantly.

Contraho Veneficus fee's were just over twelve and a half percent of the Hogwarts fee's. The fact that Hogwarts was a boarding school also seemed a little odd as it was the only one among both the English and Irish magical schools that they had checked. Every school but Hogwarts provided their pupils with portkeys for commuting.

Richard signed the acceptance letter for the Irish school almost instantly. Neither he nor Helen wanted to send their children away for months each year to a boarding school they could never even visit to check out. It was a much wiser idea to have your children come home after school. Hogwarts got their rejection letter filled and Hedwig was sent off to deliver the two letters.

As Harry and Hermione sat reading and eating they gradually became aware that the two adults were looking at them with some odd sort of questioning looks. Both adults were smiling as though they had seen or were participating in some fantastic unbelievable event.

It was Hermione who finally spoke up "Mum? Dad? Why the funny looks? What… what did we do?" she asked almost cautiously.

"We were just waiting for Mr Griphook, he said he will be here as soon as he can get away from his desk." Richard said as he remained staring at the children.

"Er… is there some thing wrong with my eyes or nose?" Harry asked rubbing away non existent smudges and then making sure his glasses were on straight.

Helen laughed a little and was just about to try to explain what they had seen the night before when there was a saving knock on the kitchen door. Which she rushed to answer.

As Griphook sat at the table and sipped his tea, Helen and Richard told him what they had heard and witnessed the night before. When they had finished speaking Griphook seemed to be in awe of the Grangers.

"Mr and Mrs Granger I wish with all my heart I had been here, last night you were privileged to witness a heavenly wedding. To witness a soul bonding is extremely rare, to witness one that was held in heavenly light and sound is a privilege beyond any I ever heard of happening in the past 1000 years. There are tales, fables about heaven and earth coming together to complete the soul bond, but that's what I thought they were, fables of old, tales to be told around camp fires by the old women. This will cause many to think twice before they upset the young couple. Any that would try to separate or attack them will be foolish in the extreme."

With her old memories practically gone Hermione could not be sure what the bond meant but she had a darn good idea, and from the pale colour her mother had just acquired so did she.

"Mr Griphook, are you sitting there and telling us we saw what we call a marriage made in heaven, a marriage between Harry and Hermione?" Helen asked quietly and looking as though she did not wish to hear the answer.

"It's just Griphook Mrs Granger and yes that is exactly what I am telling you. If you are correct in what you described then they are indeed married in the wizarding world." Griphook said smiling a smile that on a Goblin looked like a grimace. "This will do much for their safety as they will no longer be classed as underage. None in the magical world will be able to force them to attend Hogwarts, or any other school. Dumbledore will simply hate this, his self acclaimed magical guardianship over Harry has ended as of last night. I should carry out a test just to make sure, don't you think, and do you think it would be possible to take a copy of your memory of the event?"

It took Griphook just a few seconds to explain the procedure to remove a copy of someone's memory of an event, and just a few more for Richard to volunteer and Helen to find a small clean medicine bottle to place the memory in.

Harry and Hermione sat holding hands while listening to the adults say they were married. Harry thought the idea was the best thing since someone placed butter and bread together and grinning like mad he said so to Hermione. Hermione was remembering their shared experience of the night before and the kiss she had given her apparently new husband. The idea came to her that someone above had decided to make sure they got married this time around, and she then wondered where that strange thought came from.

Just a few moments later Griphook stood up and having cast a small spell on a piece of paper he asked Hermione if she would mind having her thumb pricked so that he could test a drop of her blood.

Hermione pricked her thumb on the small dagger that Griphook offered and allowed a couple of drops to fall on the clean paper. There was a quick fizzle and a small spiral of golden smoke rose from the spot where her blood had fallen. Slowly in a gracefully curved script the name Hermione Jane Potter written in red emerged. The two young ones were indeed married, they were Mr and Mrs Potter for all time. As Helen reached to take the paper two more wisps of golden smoke rose and two rings appeared. Griphook tried to lift a ring to examine but it appeared far too heavy for him to pick up but he gave out an odd sound for a Goblin he let loose a chuckle."

"They're the Potter ancestral wedding rings, these haven't appeared for generations," Griphook declared as he examined them where they lay on the piece of paper.

"Harry, Hermione if you will," Griphook said pointing to the rings.

Harry and Hermione stepped forward and seemed to know which ring to pick up and what to say, they both lifted a ring each and then Harry turned to Hermione and placed the ring on her finger as he said "My life, my soul, my eternity, a Potter for all time." Harry watched fascinated as the ring reduced its size to fit her dainty finger.

Hermione did the same and as she placed the ring on his finger she said "My life, my soul, my eternity, a Potter for all time." Every one watched as his ring reacted exactly the same way. Before both rings glowed a deep blue for a few seconds before returning to their previous condition.

"Well that takes the prize doesn't it, here I was thinking of Harry as my son and now he really is. What the heck is all this going to mean for the future, I mean they are just kids. They should be playing games and things, I mean they aren't even old enough to start playing Dr and nurse yet let alone be adults," Richard gasped adding in a very quiet "I hope," on the end of his words that was heard by everyone.

A still rather confused Harry and an excited Hermione sat back down at the table. "Hermione? how did I get to be an adult?" Harry asked a slight worried looking frown on his face.

Hermione smiled knowing what he must be thinking, taking his hand in hers she whispered "Don't worry husband, mum and dad will still think of us as their children, so don't worry ok."

Harry looked a little sheepish "That's good then. Just so as I know," he said quietly squeezing her hand for a little comfort.

Griphook spoke as he finished his cup of tea "The change in your status will require you to pay a visit to the bank as there will be several forms to sign, and a few heirlooms to look at and sort. There are also several homes that will need your attention. I will look forward to your visit." He then stood and wished them all a good day happily placing a small medicine bottle containing a copy of Richards memory into his pocket before he left, escorted to the door by Richard who thanked him and wished him farewell.

Just after Griphook left an owl carrying the government seal arrived. Hermione opened the window for the huge proud looking bird which having looked around at the occupants flew directly to Harry and landed on the table in front of him.

Harry gingerly reached out to take the large envelope the bird carried, as the owl stood there and seemed to be ok with his approach Harry became a little braver and used both hands to take the birds cargo from it. As soon as the letter was removed the owl leapt into the air and flew of out of the window and away into the distance.

Hermione joined Harry at the table and together they opened the large manila envelope. In side they found a large ornate copy of a marriage certificate and a copy of marriage registry form that had apparently just appeared in the records at the office of records, marriage dept.

They now had legal proof that they were legally registered with the ministry of magic as a married couple.

After their breakfast finished Richard started to make some phone calls and after several quietly whispered conversations over the phone he returned to the table and informed them they were going to have a family conference at Nan's house later that day, meanwhile he told Hermione and Harry to go get dressed and to pack for a few days away at least.

Harry was a little baffled by these comments by Richard, "What's a Nan?" he asked Hermione as they began to pack two small suitcases with enough clothes to last a few days.

Hermione looked sadly at Harry for a moment before she could answer. "Nan's the name we all have for my grandmother, she and gramps live in a small village over in Wales. It's a beautiful place Harry, you'll love it."

"Oh, well I don't know if I have a Nan, the Dursleys never told me much about anything except 'don't ask questions boy'" Harry said smiling at Hermione and beginning to look forward to finding out what it was like staying at Hermione's Nan's.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

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Hermione Granger, heaven sent.

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Chapter 9

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Albus Dumbledore headmaster of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry sat behind his desk staring despondently out of his window. He had tried every magical spell he knew to try to recall the Granger address. He desperately wanted to talk to the Granger adults. If he could not make them see sense then he would have to once again use a little magic to get the two Muggle's to change their minds. Looking down on his desk he glanced again at the rejection slip that had arrived with the day's mail. How could it be possible for Harry Potter to not attend Hogwarts, it was unacceptable. All Albus's plans, all his scheming all he had done would all be for nothing if the Potter boy was not under his guidance in his school.

A tapping at his window brought the old man out of his thoughts as an owl waited impatiently for him to let it in. as he opened the window for the owl a quick tap on his door and then the voice of his deputy temporarily took his mind off the letter the owl was trying to deliver. "Ah Minerva do come in. I'm afraid we have a small problem." He was saying as he absently removed the letter from the birds leg. Albus opened the letter as he was telling Minerva about the rejection slip that had come from the Grangers. His eye's almost popped out as he finally turned to look at the letter he held.

'_Mr Dumbledore._

_It is the duty of my office to inform you that the return of the key to the Potter family vault and to the Harry Potter school vault is requested. It is also my duty to request the return of all items that were taken on loan from the above mentioned vaults, to include all art, metal, and wood work. Also requested is the return of all monetary funds that have been removed._

_We being lenient in our dealings with all customers will be charging no more than three percent interest on all monies and a nominal rent for all other items removed. We hereby grant you forty eight hours to complete these requests if after this time is lapsed you have not returned all said items we will be forced to report via the Wizengamot the said items and monies as stolen by you while illegally posing as Harry Potter's guardian._

_Wishing you a very good day_

_Tailhook. _

_Dept for Fraud, theft, and debt recovery office._

_Gringotts. _

_London branch_

Albus Dumbledore stared at the letter as he realised that if the Goblins did actually report his theft from the Potters it would do him no good at all to claim he had simply borrowed the two and a half million to pay for the war effort. He had hoped that once he had Harry Potter under his influence he could simply talk the boy into donating to the war fund of the order of the phoenix. He could see his world in his minds eye as it would crumble right in front of him. His political positions would be withdrawn as would his order of Merlin first class. Goblins would empty his life savings from his vaults, he would be destitute and disgraced drummed from the society he had spent so long creating.

Minerva stood and stared as the headmaster sat down in a trance like state; slowly she read first the rejection slip from the Grangers and then with a little effort she managed to wrest the letter from Gringotts from Albus's hand. She could not believe what she was reading when she read that he had stolen money and property from a child.

Albus Dumbledore simply sat at his desk as nightmares of what his life was about to become took over his entire brain. Minerva had to send for Madam Pomfrey the school healer to take a look at the almost catatonic old man, who actually looked every day of his great age.

At the Granger house, the trip to Wales postponed until the following weekend due to the unavailability of great uncle Norman, the Grangers and Potters sat around the table enjoying a cup of tea and discussing what the Irish school might be like. Hedwig arrived home after being let out to do a little hunting, when she alighted on the back of Harry's chair she lifted a leg to him, showing him her first delivery. The letter was like Dumbledore's in that it came from Gringotts though it's contents in no way resembled the small bomb shell that had Dumbledore locked in a state of shock.

'_For the Attention of Mr and Mrs H. J. Potter, and Muggle guardians Mr and Mrs R. B. Granger._

_Sir please find enclosed one family portkey for a return trip to our London branch. An appointment has been scheduled for 11 a.m tomorrow. I look forward to seeing you and discussing your inheritance and heritage._

_Griphook._

_Potter vault keeper._

_Gringotts._

_London. _

Just three days after the meeting at the bank Harry held Hermione's hand as they boarded the ferry over to Dublin in Ireland. They had discussed things with Harry's Goblin accounts keeper and had made the decision to take a look at Potter Retreat in County Cork Ireland. Richard and Helen had been surprised to say the least to find that Harry had homes on every continent, and also on several tropical Islands around the world.

As they sat in the lounge of the ferry while it sped its way to Dublin the family talked about what to do if Potter Retreat was in reasonable condition. Richard and Helen seemed to be keen to settle down there because they would have no trouble with the Irish authorities regarding setting up a new dental practice. Richard revealed that they had even been offered a grant from the Irish government to assist in setting them up with a new practice when they had made some initial enquiries.

Potter Retreat came as a surprise to the Potters and the Grangers. It was a large country house that was well kept, with exquisite gardens all around it. Several acres around it in fact, it had its own cricket and football pitches as well as a small Quidditch practice pitch. The house itself consisted of a three story stone built regency type building. Inside it was spotlessly clean and as they entered they were greeted by some small creatures that Hermione said were house elves.

The house had twelve bedrooms, eight of them being large double bedrooms. There was also the master bedroom and three large single rooms. All the rooms were larger than any of the Grangers own bedrooms had been.

The top floor contained just four rooms. Harry and Hermione walked into the room marked 'Gym' and found it was a fairly large room with muggle training equipment all set out, it reminded them both of the gym at school. For a few minutes they both played around like the kids they truly were, panting and a little breathless they left the gym in search of the adults.

Helen and Richard had entered the room marked 'Magic restricted', mainly because the name plate on the door had them a little confused. Inside they found a wonderfully decorated and furnished living room. Unlike the living room down stairs this one had a TV and an Hi Fi and telephone along with all the other gadgets found in a non magical persons living room. The view from the window which covered more than half the longest wall, floor to ceiling was what Helen called a panoramic scene of the real Irish country side.

Harry and Hermione found Helen and Richard sitting on a large chesterfield sofa, they were totally relaxed with Helen leaning back onto Richard while they watched the news on the TV.

"Can we stay here, can we please, its great here can we stay p… l… eazzzzzzzee" Harry begged getting a laugh from the Grangers and Hermione.

"Oh I don't know, what do you think dear? could we get used to living in such splendour?" Richard said with a small chuckle thrown in.

Three heads turned as one and stared at Harry with huge smiles on their faces when he took hold of Helen's hand and said "Please Mum!"

Helen pulled Harry into a hug so fast he had no idea it was going to happen until his breath was being squeezed out of him a little, slightly confused he looked at Hermione "Does that mean yes?" he asked with his eyes wide.

Helen eased off with the hug and gently held Harry by his shoulders at arms length, "Harry sweet heart you called me mum!" she almost whispered, a few small tears trickled down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry Mrs Granger, I didn't…" Harry began before Helen shushed him.

"Harry son, you have no idea how good it makes me feel to hear you call me mum," she said as she pulled him forward a little and kissed him on his forehead. "And yes love, we can stay here. Mind you I suppose we should find out where the local shops are, other wise we are all going to starve to death."

Just two seconds after Helen let Harry go he found himself in another hug as Hermione wrapped her arms around him and kissed him gently and quickly on his lips, "We have a new home husband of mine, and you never even carried me over the threshold," she said with a mock pout.

"Was I supposed too? I suppose I could try to lift…" Harry fell silent when she kissed him again saying "Oh Harry."

A knock on the door surprised them all, and as though they had all been doing something they shouldn't have, they all quickly moved slightly apart. The door opened and a house elf walked in carrying a tray. The elf was wearing a light blue slightly flared dress with a small white apron on the front. "I thought the master might like some refreshments," she said as she placed the tray on the nearest coffee table, "And would the master and mistress like their dinner served here or in the dining room… oh and cook wonders what the master, mistress and their family would like to eat?"

"Just a simple meal will do, tell the cook to prepare what ever she wants, and I think we will eat in here tonight," Richard said as he looked down on the small being.

"Yes sir, will you want your rooms airing sir," asked the elf.

"What is you name?" Hermione asked the obviously female elf.

"I'm Petal mistress, I'm your head housekeeper," she replied giving a small curtsy.

"Well Petal, I'm Hermione, my husband's name is Harry, mum is Helen and dad is Richard, I'm sure we wont need all that master and mistress stuff. Thank you for the tea and your thoughtfulness," Hermione said as she reached out to shake the little elf's hand.

The four of them learned that a house elf could blush when Petal's face turned red at the praise, "Yes mistress Hermin… Hermoney.. Mione, dinner will be ready within the hour."

Petal turned and hurried to the door, closing it quietly behind her, while leaving four people standing slightly surprised by what had just happened.

After a traditional dinner of roast beef potatoes and other assorted vegetables, they all finished their tour of the house. Down stairs they found all the rooms normally found in a country manor, Harry was quite interested in the games room. While Helen found the sewing room rather fascinating, she found that there were several spell books all the spells of which were dedicated to a different way of sewing.

As they finished the tour Petal along with another elf she introduced as her life mate paddy, he was apparently the master's valet. Petal offered to show the way to their bedrooms, Helen and Richard were shown into a room opposite the master bedroom, while they went into the room to unpack the few things they had brought with them Petal showed Harry and Hermione into the master bedroom and then left them alone, their unpacking had already been done.

Harry stared at the one huge bed in the room for a few seconds before he propelled himself forward and then launched him self on to the bed "This is brilliant Hermione, look at the size and wow its so bouncy," he said as he started to jump up and down in the middle of the bed.

Hermione could not prevent the huge smile she got from watching him play around, "Aren't you tired yet, I know I am. This has been a hectic week, don't you think? First we're married then all that money in Gringotts, and now this, I'm… I'm… I don't know what I am really, apart from being really happy.

"Yeah me too," Harry said as he stopped bouncing and lay back on the bed, "shall we get some sleep?"

Hermione nodded and after finding they had their own bathroom and making full use of the shower they both snuggled together in the middle of the huge bed and were asleep in just two minutes.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Hermione Granger, heaven sent.

Chapter 10

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Hawktooth looked at the funds in the Dumbledore vault, in total it came to just 1 million and twenty seven galleons, giving the order to his team to remove the gold and place it in the Potter vault gave him a feeling of pleasure, he hated thieves and enjoyed it when they were brought to book. As soon as the gold was removed Hawktooth began to check through the paper work that was contained in the vault, having found the deeds to several properties including the ancient Dumbledore estate he nodded his head as he checked his ledger for their current value. If Dumbledore managed to sell all he owned at the top market price he would still be a half million short of the funds required to pay back all he had stolen not including interest on all he took from the Potters Vault. Placing the parchments into his dragon leather brief case he noticed there was one more item further back on the shelf. Reaching over he was surprised when he found a Goblin sealed envelope, the seal having been broken Hawktooth opened the envelope in the hope of finding something more he could sell off, the more he could recover of the Potter money the more he would earn, it was the way of the Goblins.

What Hawktooth pulled from the envelope came as a small shock. The last will and testament of James Henry Potter, that stated Harry James Potter was to be placed with one of three families if his godfather Sirius Black was unable to take him in. The people he had been sent too were not on the list and further down the will James and Lily had taken steps to ensure that the Dursleys never received a single Knut from the Potter family. With the will was a letter addressed to Harry James Potter along with a signed paid for and authorised enrolment form for Harry J Potter to attend the London Academy of magic from the age of five years. Hawktooth had a reputation for sniffing out wrong doers and his nose was definitely twitching. Full payment for seven years tuition at Hogwarts had recently been paid out of Harry Potters trust vault. Yet according to the signed form both of Potters parents had wanted him to attend the elite day school in London and not Hogwarts.

It seemed to Hawktooth that a visit to his clan members Tailhook and Griphook were required. They needed to discuss why Dumbledore had the Potter will, and just how many laws the old wizard had broken and to what extent. And what if anything the Goblin nation could do to rectify the breach in their security that had allowed Dumbledore to steal from one of their customers on a regular basis.

Helen Granger stood in the living room of Potter retreat holding the hands of both Petal and Paddy "According to Petal I should be back soon," she said to Richard moments before she vanished from the room.

Up stairs Harry and Hermione had quickly fallen asleep and were both clinging to each other as they dreamt sweet dreams about growing up in Ireland, away from all the problems they had hopefully left behind. Richard stood in the doorway of the master bedroom and looked at the two children, a single tear escaped from under his eyelids and trickled slowly down his cheek as he wondered what these two wonderful young people were dreaming about, and prayed they lived a long and happy life away from the dangers of the British wizarding world and its corruption. The fact that they were now considered married at such a young age still caused him some concern, but as they slept clinging to each other with looks of real happiness on their faces he wished them both a happy and long future together.

Richard had only left the living room for a few minutes to check on the children and he was certain he had been gone only a short time when he heard movement from down stairs. Rushing to see what was going on he found the living room full of the possessions they had left behind them, he near jumped out of his skin when his wife arrived holding Andy in one arm and the hand of the elf in the other, on the other side of the elf was his mother in law. As soon as he saw her standing there he wondered just how the heck they were going to explain everything to her, especially about Hermione being married.

Helen and Richard sat in stunned silence; they had just spent two hours explaining while Helens mother Sarah listened to every word in complete silence. After Helen explained that Hermione was married and both she and her husband Harry were the principal targets of a mad wizard terrorist Sarah finally spoke.

"And we thought it was gone for good," Sarah said as she stood and began to walk toward the window. As she reached the window she opened it and looked out into the dark early morning sky "did you hear grandmother, it is not ended, Hermione is upholding the tradition."

It was a few minutes before Helen asked her mother what she was talking about. And why she was referring to her grandmother, it struck Helen as odd that her mother was having a rather odd reaction to the news that her grandchild was a witch, a reaction neither she nor Richard had expected.

Helen be a dear and make us all a fresh cup of tea, I have a long story to tell you, one I would have told you when you reach your fortieth birthday, why forty I'm not sure, maybe its because that is the age that muggles think a woman is past child bearing. Still it is time to tell you now, you need to know now because of Hermione and her forth coming role in the war that will shortly begin.

As Helen and Richard got comfortable on the sofa, Sarah sat in an armchair facing them. "Just over a thousand years ago one of our ancestors, a Rowena Ravenclaw was born, and it was soon discovered that she was a witch, a truly powerful one. According to the legend she was the most powerful witch of the time, and at the age of fourteen she was noticed by a young Wizard by the name of Godric, son of Merlin.

From the first time they talked to each other they became inseparable, sometime during their third month together they kissed and became a bonded couple. The bonding was witnessed by two of their mutual friends and several others including Merlin. Merlin announced that from that day forward they were to be recognised by all as man and wife and he gave them the name Gryffindor.

Together with their two friends Godric and Rowena grew into a fine couple, they became exceedingly good at magic and their powers grew. At the age of twenty one with their magic at its peak they set out on a journey to seek out and train other young magicals, especially those who had not been recognised as magical.

They were joined in their third year of searching by their friends Helga and Salazar, together the four of them began to discover that there were far more magical children who were being born than had been known about before, many of these children had gone on to grow in their non magical homes and thus losing their abilities through lack of use.

The four friends decided to set up a magical school where all magical children could go to get a magical education. It was free to all who could not afford to pay, while those who could afford were asked to pay and to make a small donation to the school. The school prospered and eventually they were able to afford to buy an old castle, where the school has remained to this day.

The legend tells us nothing more of the four friends who's dreams started the proper teaching of magic, but it does tell us that when ever the dream was threatened, or the school was moving away from that dream, one of Rowena's female heir's would be born to be soul bonded, and she would find her soul-mate with a kiss. Together the bonded couple would set the school back on the right path even if they had to fight a war to do it. For the past thousand years around once every 150, to 200 years one of our female ancestors has been an exceptionally powerful witch and has been soul bonded to a powerful wizard. Together with two close friends they have always kept the dream alive. The last of our family to be soul bonded was a witch named Helen, she was soul bonded to a wizard named Lovegood. That was 250 years ago.

My mother was convinced that the legend was just that, a family legend that had been passed down as a story to tell on cold winter nights. My grandmother told me of the legend on my fortieth birthday, unlike my mother I wanted the legend to be true, I even named you after the last witch of the family in the vain hope you would be the one to carry on the legend. I think when my grandmother died without seeing the legend come true, we both began to doubt it was true. That's why I was talking to my grandmother, simply letting her know that the legend is true. Now Helen your daughter is the bonded one and she will be a powerful witch, it will be your task to pass the story on to the next generation.

Helen and Richard simply sat and looked at Sarah, after all they had seen since Hermione got her letter almost a year before. "So Hermione's not the first witch in the family?" Helen asked trying to think it all through.

"No she's not. But for some strange reason up until Helen, each witch and her mate after they did what was needed left the magical world and lived as simple ordinary people.

Helen and Richard questioned Sarah for another hour before Andy started to cry, at which point they called it a night. Richard showed Sarah to a room that had been prepared for her while Helen fed Andy and then took him up to bed.

Harry woke early the next morning and not wanting to waken Hermione, he crept from the room and made his way down to the kitchen, only getting lost twice on the way. Entering the kitchen Harry stood and stared at the strange woman sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Hermione Granger, heaven sent.

Chapter 11

"Morning! 'Harry' is it?" Sarah said with a smile as she looked over the top of her cup of tea. "fancy a cup?" she asked waving her cup slightly to the boy who had just entered the kitchen.

Harry stared at the stranger wondering who she might be; he knew she wasn't any threat to him because Petal had told mum and dad that the house was protected by some wards, which kept out any one who wanted to cause harm to the family, and which were even stronger and better than the wards at Gringotts bank. "Who are you?" he asked as he smiled and nodded yes rather vigorously.

Sarah poured Harry his cup of tea while she introduced herself, "I'm Sarah, Hermione's grandmother." She told him as she passed him the tea.

Harry stared at the woman as she placed his cup in front of him taking in all the details of her looks, "Are you sure you are Hermione's Nan?" he asked still looking at her with some surprise showing in his eye's.

"Quite positive young Harry," Sarah answered with a little chuckle as a puzzled look appeared on his face.

"Well you don't look like a grandmother, you've got no grey hair, and you're definitely not chubby, or got rosy cheeks, and where's your apron?" Harry said slowly with a look of puzzlement on his face.

"Well thank you, but why should I have grey hair and be fat, Harry? anyone would think the only grandmother…" Sarah stopped speaking as Hermione entered the room and rushed over to hug her.

"Nan. When did you get here? Why didn't you come up to say hello? Do mum and dad know you are here, never mind answering that one? Harry have you met my Nan? Is there any tea left?" Hermione rattled of the quick questions while both Sarah and Harry chuckled at her excitement.

"Hermione, calm down little one, one question at a time," Sarah said as she hugged Hermione tight for a few seconds, "I was just talking to your husband, how'd you like to tell your old Nan how you come to be married so young, are you trying to make me feel old? You know gramps is going to be so sorry he has missed this."

While her Nan was speaking Hermione moved over to stand beside Harry and then kissed him on his cheek whispering "Good morning husband," before she pulled out a chair and sat next to him at the table.

It was just at that moment that Richard and Helen entered the kitchen. A very tired looking Richard headed straight for the tea pot with out saying a word, while Helen wished everyone good morning. Richard grunted as he swirled the tea pot around "Ugh, empty." Before he could put the pot back on to the table Petal appeared and after saying "good morning, masters, mistresses," she waved her hand at the tea pot.

Richard mumbled a thank you as the pot refilled with fresh tea. "What would the master like for breakfast?" Petal asked turning to face Harry.

Harry scratched the back of his head for a few seconds before he answered with "Er, mum what do we want for breakfast?"

As they all sat around the table eating the breakfast prepared by Petal, Sarah looked at each one of them in turn, then slowly pushing her finished breakfast away from her she looked at Hermione for a moment before she spoke. "So little one, I believe you have made a discovery, would you care to enlighten me?"

Hermione looked at her mum and dad and seeing them both nod their heads slightly she turned to look at her Nan, "Er I'm a witch and Harry is a wizard, and at first I was rather puzzled why you weren't surprised when Petal simply appeared out of thin air, but then I figured mum and dad must have told you about magic, how else could you have gotten here, so that just leaves me and Harry being soul bonded, well when we kissed for the first time something happened and according to Griphook we are now married."

As Hermione finished speaking Paddy appeared and walked to the side of Sarah, carefully he placed what seemed to be a small six inch by eight inch leather bound book in front of her, then he held out a small steel key to her. "Thank you Paddy," Sarah said as she took the key and placed it in her pocket.

Picking up the book she handed it to Helen, "I asked Paddy to collect this for me, I hope you don't mind." As Helen turned the book over to examine it Sarah began to speak again but rather quietly, "Richard, first thing we need to do is to cancel that appointment with the headmaster of that school you were thinking of. Helen as the mother of our new warrior witch you need to tap the centre of the circle on the front of the book with your right index finger to get it to open, according to grandmother it will only open for the mother of the new witch. Hermione, Harry, you will not be attending any schools, from today onward your mother and I will be teaching you all you need to know. Now Richard can I suggest that you continue with your work as you had planned, but Helen will have to stay at home, she will be far to busy teaching to be a dentist." As she spoke she moved away from the table and was lifting her handbag as she finished.

Pulling out a really old looking piece of parchment from her handbag Sarah began to speak again, "Helen once you have tapped the centre there should appear a five pointed star within the circle," she glanced at the parchment as she walked back to the table, after laying the ancient letter on the table and smoothed out the folds she started to speak again, "Once the star appears place two fingers in the centre point and turn the star to the left as far as it will go, then turn it back to the centre before turning to the right, do this three times," she said as she read the instructions off the parchment.

Helen wondering how on earth she was supposed to teach a witch and wizard, pushed her breakfast plate away and placed the book on the table in front of her, carefully she followed her mothers instructions, as she finished moving the star the book glowed golden for a moment and then it began to swell and expand, a few seconds later the book had reached at least six times it's original size, and it had swollen to be at least a foot thick. Gingerly Helen opened the book. The writing on the opening leaf made Helen look up sharply at Hermione before looking back down at the book.

"Mum, what's wrong?" Hermione asked seeing the look her mother had just given her.

Helen said nothing for several seconds and then she began to read out loud.

'_Helen, daughter of Ravenclaw. Mother of Hermione 'sixth' protector, and wife to the chosen one, heir of Gryffindor. Wife of Richard, heir of Hufflepuff and regent master of Hogwarts. You are charged this day with the training and tuition of the protector and the chosen one, also any persons she might choose to fight by her side, but be warned Ravenclaw magic will only work for those who are pure of heart.'_

Helen with a look of shock turned to her mother and then to her husband Richard, "It says you are master of Hogwarts?"

Richard who had just finished drinking his tea looked at Helen as though she had gone crazy, leaning over he looked at the book to where Helen was pointing her finger. "I thought I'd seen some crazy things since Hermione rescued Harry, but that is plain stupid, I mean I'm no more master of a magical castle than I am a milk man, how could I be?" he said as he looked at his family one by one, as if expecting one of them to know the answer.

Helen started reading again, her voice sounding loud in the total silence that filled the kitchen.

'_On the night of the full moon, you are to sleep with this volume of knowledge for your pillow, for one full cycle you will sleep, when you awaken you will be prepared with the knowledge needed to prepare the protector for the future that she is destined for.'_

"What's a full cycle?" Harry and Hermione asked at the same time "does it say?"

Helen shook her head as she turned the pages of the huge book, "There's nothing else at all, that's it, just those few lines, Mother is there anything else on that piece of parchment?"

Sarah looked a little surprised as she answered, "Only the family legend that I told you of last night."

Richard was still mumbling about the stupidity of thinking he was master of a castle he wouldn't even be able to see, if all the literature they had read was true, Muggles simply could not see Hogwarts, all they would see is a pile of stones and ruins from some ancient derelict building.

Hermione got the oddest feeling that she should have already done all this years ago, but she could not quite understand why she was having such an odd feeling. Concentrating on remembering the magic she knew, she tried a few revealing spells that came to her mind but nothing happened, the pages in the book remained blank, it was obvious that to find out if the book was some sort of elaborate joke, Helen would have to follow the instructions on the next full moon, which was in six days time.

**Hogwarts School**

"…Yes, yes, headmaster I know you have duties to perform, and yes I know you also have duties in the Wizengamot, but you were close to a mental breakdown, you need time off, you have been working far to hard you need time to recover, you really should remain here in the hospital wing for at least another week," Madam Pomfrey the school healer told Albus Dumbledore for the tenth time that morning.

"Poppy dear, I simply had a most severe shock, I can tell you no more than that but I am perfectly alright now," Albus said as he stood next to the hospital bed he had been kept in, and pulled his bright purple robes over his head, wriggling a little before shaking himself hard to make the robes hang properly.

"Ok, headmaster, but… Albus as I will be unable to I'm going to ask Minerva to keep an eye on you for a few days, just to be sure." Poppy said as she turned to walk back into her office, she knew just how stubborn he could be, she had given her medical opinion telling him she did not think him well enough to go back to work, there was nothing else she could do.

Ten minutes later Minerva McGonagall, deputy head and transfiguration teacher watched as her old friend Albus stood cursing and threatening the gargoyle that guarded the stairs to the headmaster's office. "Albus, what on earth are you doing. Does Poppy know you are out of the hospital wing?" she asked as he kicked at the shins of the stone statue that simply refused to move or to allow him admittance to his office.

"Ah Minerva my dear, I take it you changed the password while you stood in for me?" Albus said forcing a smile onto his face, hiding the frustration he was feeling.

"Albus no one has entered your office since… well since that day you received that letter," Minerva answered looking worriedly at her old friend.

**Gringotts bank. Diagon Alley**.

"So Griphook see to it that those posters are placed in every Goblin owned building, I want to see that old fraud get justice and if we have to pay a reward then so be it." said Ragnok head of the Goblin nation.

"I'll see to it as quickly as I can sir, I too wish to see justice served to one who would rob a child, or a widow," Griphook the new keeper of the Potter vaults said, a scowl on his face as he thought of Dumbledore.

An hour later shops offices and a few restaurants all had wanted posters stuck in prominent places. Albus Dumbledore was to be arrested on charges of theft from several widows and orphans as soon as he set foot in any Goblin owned property.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Hermione Granger, heaven sent.

Chapter 12

Albus Dumbledore had tried everything he could think of to open the entrance to his office all to no avail. After almost three hours he was still standing glaring at the obstinate Gargoyle that simply refused to obey him. Finally giving up he called for the Hogwarts head house elf, he needed the elves to prepare one of the guest suites for him, he would have to sleep there until he could work out what was wrong with the Gargoyle.

It was several minutes before Albus noticed the elf had not appeared when he had been summoned, he was about to call out again when he was joined by Minerva again who was returning from her last class of the day.

"Albus are you ok, surely you haven't been standing here all this time?" she asked as she looked at his flustered red face.

"I was trying… and then I called Pappy but… I mean I'm the head master," he muttered giving the Gargoyle an evil snarl.

"Pappy," Minerva called.

A slight cracking noise disturbed the peace of the corridor, "You called mistress M-Gongull?" a small ancient house elf asked from her side.

"Ah Pappy, could you prepare one of the guest quarters for me?" Dumbledore asked the elf.

Pappy looked at Minerva for some guidance "Silver whiskers isn'ts to remain in the Hoggywarts castle with out master say yes?" he told the deputy head quietly, "did you's ask the master?"

Albus was very quickly beginning to lose it again as the old elf refused to help him "You's not a teacher so you's should leave the Hogywarts," was all that either he or Minerva could get the elf to say each time they declared that Albus was the head master. It was not to long before the whiskered old man found him self once more at the mercy of Poppy Pomfrey and her calming draught. While two of the Hogwarts elves waited to escort the old man from the grounds, his belongings packed in his trunks and waiting by the main entrance.

Potter Retreat

Harry and Hermione were sitting out in the garden under an old oak tree, they were discussing how Helen not being a witch would be able to teach them what they needed to know, it was Harry who finally came up with the answer. "Hermione, it's so simple, I can't believe why we never thought of it before," he looked at her confused face and then continued "how do we learn charms? You show me the wand movements and tell me what to say and then you show me how it works, well mum can do it too but without the demonstration."

Hermione who had been surprised a little that she had not thought about it first, agreed with Harry that magic was not actually needed to teach spells charms potions or any other type of magic they might need. She was still a little disappointed that they would not be attending a school where they could be with other magical children, still staying at home to be taught might not be too bad.

Hogwarts School.

Albus Dumbledore stepped off the Hogwarts grounds feeling really confused, he had been hustled cajoled, pushed and shoved by the castle elves. Slowly but surely they had forced him off the school grounds, as the elves vanished with slight popping sounds he wondered what had gone wrong. He had plans, and they could not be allowed to fail.

Two minutes after the school gates had closed and refused to open for him as they had always opened over the past fifty years, first as a teacher and then as Headmaster, he decided he would need somewhere in Hogsmeade to stay while he and the school governors figured out what was going on. That meant he would need some money because even his brother Aberforth would not feed and provide a bed for him for nothing, without another thought Albus Dumbledore disapparated, reappearing in the Hogs head inn, after a quick word with his brother Aberforth asking him to take care of his belongings he apparated once again and arrived just out side Gringotts bank in Diagon Alley, London.

An angry Albus Dumbledore walked into Gringotts bank with a strut looking like he thought owned the bank, marching up to one of the tellers he placed his false grandfather like smile on his face and after he nodded to the Goblin sitting in front of him he spoke in a very authoritive voice, "Ahem… I would like to access my vault, quickly if you please."

"Just a moment sir, I'll see who is available to take care of you," the Goblin said with a smile that looked rather sinister but was missed by the old man.

Two minutes later having been informed he needed to talk to a senior executive in regard to a small problem with his finances, Albus Dumbledore was being lead toward an office of some sort by what seemed to be a very polite Goblin who kept smiling and grinning at him alternatively. Without saying a single word to the tall wizard the Goblin lead the way through the corridors of the bank, the little being resisted the urge to rub his hands together and sneer at the old fool who was following him.

It did not take them many minutes to reach their destination, the Goblin ushered the old man through the door to what was supposed to be an office. Dumbledore took only a few seconds to realise where he was, he turned to leave just seconds after the door shut behind him. Leaving him to figure out he was standing in the Goblin court room, things did not look so good for the old man.

"Ah Mr Dumbledore, do take a seat, I can assure you it will not take us long to find you guilty of the crimes you have committed. Now where shall we start?" an ancient looking Goblin said as he rubbed his hands together a look of glee in his black eyes.

It took but a fraction of a second for Dumbledore to reach into his robes for his wand, but it took a little less time for him to feel the points of multiple goblin swords, axes and pike staffs poking him at various points of his anatomy, slowly he withdrew the wand and offered it to the nearest goblin guard, who just happened to have a rather sharp long knife pressing into Albus's neck.

Albus did the only sensible thing he could and sat down in the chair. A rather tall Goblin stood and walked toward Dumbledore, pausing as he reached the old man with the gaudy robes and long silver beard.

"Hello Mr Dumbledore, I'm Hawktooth, your prosecutor and today I will be sending you to one of our cells in the Dragon training operation headquarters. I should inform you that no one has ever returned from that place, now for your crimes how do you plead?" the Goblin said in a very cold voice.

"Might I know what the charges might be? knowing what I am accused of would help me to form my defence," Albus said in his grandfatherly voice.

"And what defence could possibly offer to mitigate your crimes against Mr Harry James Potter, and several other orphans that were supposedly in your care. I only wish we had a law for the cruelty you had Mr Potter subjected too by placing him illegally with those hateful muggles. You have already been proved to be guilty of theft from several vaults in the past twenty years, so how do you plead?" Hawktooth asked.

"All I ever do or did was for the greater good, I demand to be placed before the Wizengamot for these totally false and preposterous charges," Albus said as calmly as he could manage.

Hawktooth simply pulled a copy of the Potters will out of an inside pocket of the waist coat he was wearing, "Do you recognise this piece of parchment, you should do it was found when your vaults were emptied."

Albus looked a little odd as the calming draught he had had from Madam Pomfrey was wearing off "Harry Potter must be made to attend Hogwarts school, that is why I hid the will," he said his face getting red with anger.

"Ah, I see and why would no other school be acceptable, as Mr Potters parents wished?" Hawktooth asked smiling a Goblin smile at the crazy old fool.

"Potter needs to be where I can control him, er… I mean help him… yes that's what I mean… help him," Albus said as he slowly lost control again.

Hawktooth turned to the Goblins behind the huge desks in the room "I think that we were correct in finding Albus Dumbledore guilty of the crimes he is accused of. What say all of you?"

Every Goblin in the room even the guards on the door stood and said just one word "Guilty."

One hour and ten minutes later Albus Dumbledore found him self on a small island that seemed to be over run with Dragons and Goblins, there were several other humans there as well but none of them looked to healthy. The scratchy and rough bright green robes Albus had been forced to wear were Goblin made with a built in magic suppressing charm, and there was no way to remove them without the help of one of the Goblin guards because of the magic needed. The old man resigned himself to spending a long time on this desolate and apparently barren rock some where north of Scotland, if he lived a long time that is, he knew as well as anyone else, it was impossible to control a Dragon without some form of magic so his future did not look to rosy, he wondered if maybe he could be lucky and find some way to escape, he would have to keep his wits about him to ensure he did not miss any opportunity that might present itself. As he lay on the little wooden bed that first night as a prisoner he cursed the day, as his phoenix had it seemed deserted him, he then fell into a rather troubled sleep.

Potter Retreat

Thanks to Hermione being able to teach Harry about both the spells and charms she knew from her no longer remembered past life, both Harry and Hermione were doing quite well in learning the ancient spell crafting and charm weaving without the use of a wand or incantations, Helen was teaching them a form of magic that had been in use for thousands of years before wands were invented. The magic was based on using powerful thoughts to control their magic and to use the ambient magic around them to increase the power output. The house elves were also helping to teach the two children because the Goblins and elves still used the same ancient form of powerful magic, they and the Goblins had never had to use a wand, preferring to use the old ways.

Helen had asked for the elves to teach her children about concealment and stealth which the little beings seemed so good at, the very first week end after they started those lessons Harry and Hermione were leaping for joy after their first successful journey using the methods that the elves used to travel great or short distances with pin point precision. The elves called it Popping but as Harry and Hermione both did it silently they renamed it and called it locating. Potters Retreat was becoming something like an advanced school of magic for the two young children, in between their lessons Hermione was helping Harry, using her rather unbelievable notes to teach him all she knew.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Hermione Granger, heaven sent.

Chapter 13.

Harry and Hermione Potter had been training hard for the first year at Potters Retreat, in-between the hard work of learning the magic that Hermione taught, the magic of the Ravenclaw's, and the truly old magic of the elves and Goblins they spent some time going into the local village and getting to know the local children. The entire year had been an exciting and happy experience for the young married couple who enjoyed both the work and play, and left them both eager to learn more, reading their texts together in the evening became a much looked forward too time to relax for them.

Albus Dumbledore was still on the island with the dragons, he had been seriously injured several times, three times he had quite happily thought he was going to escape by dying and would next wake up in the next life, away from the dragons and ready and willing for the next great adventure. Much to his sorrow the Goblins had no intentions of allowing him to die before he had made up for some of his crimes, and to date they figured he had only earned the value of two thousand galleons, which barely scraped the surface of what he owed, he still had a long way to go before they would allow him to die.

On the first of August as the family sat around the kitchen table enjoying their breakfast before starting the day, they were interrupted when Paddy entered the kitchen "Excuse me master Richard sir, there is an elf by the name of Pappy here to see you," he said with a small bow.

"An elf to see me, I wonder why? Hmm, ok Paddy bring him in, perhaps he would enjoy a cup of this excellent tea." Richard answered feeling puzzled.

Paddy brought the obviously old elf into the kitchen and introduced him to Richard "Master Regent sir, I is here from Hogywarts, she is in need of a new head teacher, she is also needing some new teachers, sir," the old elf said in a rather rough voice.

Richard looked at the little elf "But, but, but I'm a Muggle, I'm not magical, how on earth can I be in charge of Hogwarts?" he asked looking around the table.

Pappy looked at Richard as though he was slightly crazy "Little master be's the heir of Gryffindor, little mistress be's the heir of Ravenclaw, you's be's the heir of Hufflepuff, and you's be's the head of the family until young master be's a man and be's the new master Gryffindor, so you's be's master Regent," Pappy explained slowly for the Hufflepuff Muggle.

"Seems simple enough to me," Sarah said looking around the table "how about we go along with the master Regent and take a look at this supposed great school?"

It seemed all those around the table thought the idea was excellent, well all except Andy who was busy flicking his porridge at the two elves and giggling happily. Richard still looking unsure asked Pappy how they could get to Hogwarts, before Pappy could answer Paddy spoke up "That would be a job for the Potter elves sir."

Richard nodded his head "Ok Pappy is it, yes well we will visit the school after we have finished our breakfast, we will then see what is required." With a quick nod Pappy simply vanished with a pop.

It took the Potters and Grangers an hour to get ready to visit Hogwarts; Andrew was left with Petal while the rest were popped to the gates of Hogwarts School by several Potter elves. Richard looked amazed at the castle that stood in the vast grounds in front of them, looking around at his family he could see them all looking at the castle in awe. It dawned on him then that as they were all descendants of the founders, unlike other Muggles they had the ability to see the School.

They were greeted at the gates by a huge man who was accompanied by Pappy; Richard dismissed the Potter elves and told them they would be sent for when they were needed, if indeed they were needed later.

The overly large man who Richard estimated stood at about nine and a half feet tall and probably a little more than half of that across held out his huge hand "Welcome to Hogwarts Master Regent, the name is Rubeus Hagrid, everyone just calls me Hagrid, I'm the keeper of keys and groundskeeper here."

Richard looked up at the huge man while he introduced his family. Hagrid seemed to be overly excited to shake the hands of both Harry Potter and the fabled Hermione Granger. His excitement waned temporarily when Hermione corrected him, "The name is Potter Mr Hagrid, Mrs Hermione Jane Potter."

Hagrid's eyes lit up again when he realised she was telling him she was married to Harry Potter, the boy who lived. "Thar' ill' be many a witches heart Bro-en when tha bitta news gets out," he said as he turned to lead the way up to the castle where the faculty would be waiting for them.

As they reached the castle entrance they were greeted by several of the Schools tutors, they were lead by the woman they had met just once before.

"Good morning, I am Minerva McGonagall acting headmistress, welcome to Hogwarts Regent Granger and family. I have taken the liberty and arranged a tour of the castle for you; I hope you enjoy your visit. Filius our charms professor will escort you on your tour, meanwhile I have much to do before the start of term," McGonagall said before turning to walk away.

Richard had taken on his business man attitude as he had walked up to the castle and was truly annoyed by the woman who was treating them like little children. "Ah thank you for your offer, I am afraid it will have to wait, we have some serious business to sort out first. So Miss McGonagall would you be good enough to gather the staff together, I would like to speak with them."

Rather surprised by the way the Muggle spoke McGonagall huffed a little, she then lifted her nose a little before speaking "Filius would you please escort our guests to the great hall while I gather up the staff that are in the castle. Thank you." She then walked off in search of her staff.

Richard spoke to the staff one at a time, taking time to take a walk and talk with each one in turn, when he had spoken to the last teacher who had been a ghost and was unable to take a walk outside as had the others he asked his family to take a walk with him. Having asked their opinions of the staff and their attitudes he took a seat at the head table.

"Right first may I call you Pomona, he asked professor Sprout," once she had nodded he continued "I would like you to take up the mantle of headmistress if you would."

A highly surprised Pomona Sprout readily agreed to the promotion while blushing slightly at being picked from all her peers.

"Now Miss McGonagall, I am hoping you will continue in your roll as the deputy head, the reason I have not chosen you as head is quite simple. You are far to stuck in the ways of Dumbledore at this time, and I feel the School needs a change of direction to give the best education we can to the students that attend this ancient institution.

Now professors Snape, Binns, Trelawney, and Babel, your services are no longer required by the School, Mr Snape I doubt I ever met a more dislikeable person, no one with your attitude should be allowed anywhere near children.

Mr Binns whether you know this or not, you sir are dead and I have to admit that just spending five minutes listening to you had me completely bored and wanting to fall asleep, the teaching of history needs to be done with life and enthusiasm.

Miss Trelawney, it is quite obvious that you are a complete fake and you are taking payment under false pretences. Your services are definitely no longer required.

Which leaves me with Mr Babel, I have no doubt what so ever that you sir have never set foot into the world of ordinary folk, which tells me that you are most definitely just about the most unsuitable person to teach Muggle studies that the former headmaster could find.

Ok, now Professors Flitwick, Vector, and I'm so sorry I forgot your name, you professor, yes the one who teaches runes. I would ask you three to get together with the headmistress and help her in her quest for the replacement tutors for all but the Divination lessons. Even Muggles know that if you haven't got a gift it can not be taught. Money on that class would be a pure waste so it will be dropped. I think that's about all for now. So what are the chances of us all getting a nice cup of tea and a small snack before we take that tour of the school?" Richard leaned back and looked at his family; he was pleased to see that they all appeared to agree with everything he had said.

The tour of the castle seemed to be a little strange to Hermione; she seemed to keep getting a feeling of having been here before in some other life. None of the Grangers or Potters actually liked the School, it seemed far to out dated to be used as a place of learning in the twentieth century. By the time the tour was over the new headmistress had a small selection of witches and wizards that she thought might make suitable teachers. Richard left in her hands to chose and hire the replacements and promised he would return later in the year to access how they were doing.

The Grangers and Potters were all pleased to get away from the castle that seemed cold and bleak even in the middle of summer, when the School elves offered to return them to their home. After a quick talk to the huge Hagrid they walked out of the gates and were popped home to Potter Retreat.

After fussing over Andrew for an hour and an early supper Harry and Hermione were happy to climb into their bed, they were already looking forward to the next day and the lessons they would learn, they were both pleased that they had not gone to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, because even as a now twelve and almost thirteen year old they knew the education there was no where near as good as the one they were getting here at the retreat.

Down stairs in the living room the Grangers were discussing the old castle and the things Richard had set in motion there. They were all convinced that the old School needed bringing up to date and hopefully before the new millennium was upon them. Both Helen and Sarah commented at the same time that he had chosen well when he had chosen professor Sprout to be the head. Out of all those they had spent time with in the great hall she had been the one with the most concern for all the students and not just those that shared the house she had once been in.

The conversation then changed to what lessons were next on the agenda for their children, they decided that the next day would be spent with Helen as she taught them from Ravenclaw's amazing book.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Hermione Granger, heaven sent

Chapter 14.

Exactly one month later Richard was not in a happy mood after receiving a letter from Headmistress Sprout informing him that Trelawney, Snape, and Binns had ignored every thing he had said and refused to relinquish their quarters, or even leave the castle at all. Snape had so far prevented the potion master she had engaged carrying out his duties without some form of interruption. Apparently already three times that week Snape had sent his own elf to take the Slytherin students from the new potions class room they were now using to the old potions class room in the dungeons.

Ex-Professor Bins had simply continued to appear in the former history classroom and carried on giving lessons as though the students were still there in front of him, he had refused point blank to give up his teaching career saying he was still needed as headmaster Dippet had informed him, it did not seem to bother him that he had no students in his class room.

Ex-Professor Trelawney, spent day after day locked away in her tower crying about the injustice of it all and then repeatedly announcing that she foresaw the return of headmaster Dumbledore any day now.

After a family get together at breakfast it was decided that Sarah and Helen would remain at home with Andrew while Richard and the two young ones went off to visit the castle and make sure that the unwanted ex teachers were removed from the school and measures taken to ensure they could not return.

Richard entered the Great hall of Hogwarts half way through the school's breakfast period. As he entered the large double doors he was flanked by the Potters. Harry walked on his right while Hermione walked on his left. Looking like a team of warriors the threesome marched up to the head table.

"Mr Snape, might I ask why you are still sitting at this table as if you belong there?" Richard asked in a rather dangerous sounding voice.

"Who the hell do you think you are talking to you disgusting little piece of muggle rubbish," Snape shouted as he pulled out his wand.

Severus Snape learned rather quickly why Harry Potter was called the chosen one, as with a simple stare at the greasy haired potions master Harry snapped his wand, and in the course of doing so he also broke several bones in the hand holding it. In the few seconds it took for Snape to look down at the snapped wand feel the intense pain in his hand, Hermione using her hand like a music conductor might use his hand to direct an orchestra, waved and lifted her hand and then waved it toward the doors of the hall. Snape lifted up into the air and then very rapidly flew down the length of the hall, out of the open double doors and only stopped when he came to the obstruction that was the far wall of the entrance hall.

Harry chuckled a little "I think you might have misjudged the distance there Mrs Potter."

Hermione looked at him with a smile "Hmmm, you might be right there dear. Oh well I will just have to put a little more power behind my magic if there is ever a next time. Don't you think?"

Richard turned and looked at his daughter "Hermione if you had used anymore power you might have hurt the fool."

"Yes dad, that was the general idea, he did pull his wand on you after all remember." Hermione said as she watched Harry walk toward the ex-professor.

Harry reached the unconscious ex-professor at the same time as the school healer stepped off the grand stair case and ran to join him in his examination of the injured man. After Madam Pomfrey had revived Snape Harry stared at him with an icy glare "You have one hour to pack your belongings and remove your unwashed body from the castle. If I find you here after that then you will discover why Voldemort was a fool to attack me. Now go, remove your self."

Severus Snape stared at the face in front of him and though he could see his childhood enemy there, he could also see what it was that his master Voldemort had been afraid of. With a quick scowl accompanied by a nod of his head Snape dragged him self to his feet and went off toward the dungeons to pack his stuff.

When Harry re-entered the hall Richard was just getting through banishing the old ghost professor Binns. Professor Vector stood up and asked quite politely, "Mr Granger, about Sybil, Sybil Trelawney, she has no where to go and no family outside the castle, do you think, I mean could you see your way to allowing her to remain in the castle while she looks for other employment and such?"

Richard looked around the hall but could not see the former divination teacher anywhere. Headmistress Sprout explained about Sybil staying in her tower apartments and only rarely coming to the great hall for meals. After a few minutes and a whispered family conference Richard gave his permission for Sybil to remain at the castle until the end of the school year.

Before they left the castle Sprout and several of the other teachers approached Richard about the house system that seemed to be the major cause of any altercations within the school, and asked if he might consider making some changes to the system. Richard left them with a promise to look into any ideas that the professors came up with in the very near future and then the three of them, one Granger and two Potters left the castle and made their way home.

That night Hermione watched as the door to their bedroom opened quietly and a little face popped into view "Me had bad dream, me sleep with you?" her little brother asked tears trickling down his face.

Harry's voice came from somewhere under the duvet "Come on Andy boy jump up here."

A few minutes later Andrew was trying hard to describe the happenings in his dream. He had been in a dark forest and was watching the unicorns playing when something black and evil smelling had killed the youngest unicorn before drinking up its blood. Something about her brother's dream had Hermione worried, it was as though she had been told the story before a long time ago and she only had a vague recollection of it. She was however quite sure that the dream was something to do with Hogwarts.

As the days passed both Harry and Hermione were truly enjoying their lessons, and both were rapidly becoming extremely powerful in all the magics they were being taught. Richard had received only short letters from professor Sprout as she explained that they were not really making much progress on finding a different system than the house system. Hogwarts was so famous and prestigious through out history that all the other magical schools they had looked at were all based on the same system currently in use.

Between them Helen and Sarah came up with an idea that they all decided they should put to the test. It was based on a normal muggle system. They would introduce two new subjects on which the students could be tested and graded each year. Though where they were to find a maths and English teacher for a magical school had them all temporarily stumped.

Paying a visit to the school Richard put their ideas to the staff, he was quite pleased to learn about Squibs which were apparently the exact opposite of the Muggle born's. they were born into magical families and yet had no real magic of their own. Many of them were forced to leave the magical world and make their way in the Muggle world. The old caretaker/cleaner of the castle informed Richard that he had a cousin who worked at a muggle school as the deputy head master. Asked by Richard Mr Filch agreed to visit his cousin and see if he could enlist his help in finding suitable applicants for the two new posts.

The house system was to be done away with and the new system based on intelligence and capability was to take its place. when the professors asked about their quidditch teams and the house cup, Richard was a little upset to find that quidditch was the only sport activity and each house only had seven players. He ordered that there be a physical education class established so that all the students attended and were kept fit and healthy. Other sports were also to be introduced and sports teams for all years would be on a voluntary basis with a winner's cup at the end of each year for each sport. The idea that the magical world had no idea about football or rugby as well as the other well known muggle sports had never entered Richards head before and the fact that the magical school offered no fitness program seemed plain ludicrous to him.

Mr Filch was good to his word and after just a few days he had a list of five applicants for the two new posts. Sarah was the one who did the interviews and chose the two new professors. One of the Goblins arranged for a physical instructor for the school and by the time the new term started the new system was already to be tested with live students. It turned out to be an interesting and educationally beneficial system for all the students. Except for one or two pureblood students who thought they were so much better than others and that they deserved far higher grades because of who their parents were. One in particular, a boy named Malfoy and his two friends were rather quickly expelled from the school by headmistress Sprout who was not willing to tolerate bigotry like previous heads.

Hogwarts was finally joining the twentieth century, which would eventually drag the rest of the magical world out of its Victorian period stagnation.


End file.
